Bruised
by Eleanor Rigby 000
Summary: Growing up being battered isn't easy. Growing up to be an heiress is nothing easier. AU. Major SasuHina. Minor NaruSaku. ShikaIno. WIP.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm not dead yet! Heheheh. And yes, I'm back. I can't thank you guys enough for supporting _A Miracle_—it's my most successful fic and I'm glad you were part of it. If you haven't read it yet, then please do! Heheh. Anyways, I'm back and bouncing. And a little bit busy, but what the heck, summer's almost here—just 2 more months! Yipee!**

**So before I _officially_ begin, I'll just warn you guys with the setup. This is a SasuHina (Sasuke x Hinata) and it's AU, starts out as some High School fic, but will go beyond that eventually. It's still the same drama and twisted, and a little bit crazier, but it won't be quite like the first one. The start will be lighter than the end. Yes, it'd still be somewhat dramatic, but that's what we all love, neh? :P**

**I'll stop now. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"LouBoutin, what excellent choice you have, my dear!"

"I couldn't agree more. This will go spectacular with the red Vera Wang dress that we purchased last week from New York."

"Oh, good gracious, of course it would not! She would look like a clothes' hanger!"

Hyuuga Hinata blinked, not quite sure if she was insulted or whatnot. She merely glanced at the metallic high heeled shoes inside the shoe shop, not exactly wishing to get it for herself. In fact, she didn't enjoy buying things for herself. If it weren't for her father and the two ladies who claimed to be her aunt, she would have stayed at home and practice for their speech choir in two days.

It had always made her nervous—to stand in front of an audience.

* * *

"I SAID GET ME SOME BEER YOU IDIOTIC BOY!" yelled Fugaku. "CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? BEER!"

"I'm off to school." Sasuke said, grabbing his backpack before walking towards the door.

"WHY YOU…" The older man ran towards him and held him by his nape. The younger boy dropped his books and coughed at the force. "IF I TELL YOU TO GET SOMETHING," he shouted right at his ear, "YOU SHOULD GET IT AT ONCE!" throwing Sasuke to the floor.

* * *

"You most certainly have a point there, Aiko-san. Besides, the red soles will be fighting with the red silk—hideous."

"Mhm, and she's too pale to save her own life." Aiko agreed. She snatched a mirror from her pocket and quickly looked at her reflection before entering the store. Hinata and her other 'auntie' followed. "What amazing shop you have here, Monsieur,"

The tall and dark shopkeeper walked into her. "It is our pleasure, Mademoiselle, what is it that I can do to help you?"

"My niece, Hinata would like to try out that one," she walked into the pair of shoes on the rack. "What is it called?"

"_'Ron Ron',_ magnificent choice, Mademoiselle! It's available in three other colors. This one's the metallic leather, it's highly comfortable and intricately designed." He said.

* * *

Sasuke wiped his face and glared at his 'father.' "I said I'm going to school."

"Well I told you to get me some beer!"

He stood up. "Go get it yourself."

Fugaku punched him, sending him to the old, wooden floor once more. "You really don't learn, do you?" He said under his breath and clenched his knuckles. "What if you _don't_ go to school?"

* * *

"Oh, Hanako, I just remembered the dress that I found by Monique Lhuillier, the white one with the black skirt from the Spring collection, that would be perfect on these _Ron Ron._"

Hinata blushed yet again. "A-ano—"

Aiko sighed. "So, Hinata-chan, the gathering is in two nights. Have your prepared yourself?"

She choked.

"Oh, not a very good answer." Hanako clicked her tongue. "You do know that your father will introduce you as the heiress of Hyuuga Group of Companies on that very night."

"She's right, Hinata-chan. That's exactly why we are helping you polish yourself! Two thousand guests have RSVPed, and your father is awaiting the reply of six hundred more. This is huge."

The pale-eyed girl blinked and looked away hesitantly. If she couldn't speak in speech choirs, how ever can she face more than two thousand guests as the heiress of her father's business?

* * *

**Bruised**

by: FourEyedWanderer

_In the real life, where he is in pain and she is in luxury, they meet. This is where each chapter begins a new life, a new chance, a new hope, a new sorrow._

* * *

"Look at that. He's at it again."

"He's really amazing."

"Top one, what a shock."

Soft murmurs spread throughout the hallway like it was some kind of a virus. The voices were amused, but barely surprised, as their owners looked at the list of class rankings in the trimester. It was only the first third of the year, but the results were fairly predictable, but the number of disappointments and successes were overwhelming still.

"He is the coolest."

"Only if he wasn't so distant…"

Hyuuga Hinata tiptoed so she could see, to no avail. The swarm of people—and _tall_ people—was too much for her—and her height. Instead of trying to somehow go through them, she resorted to standing that the back of the crowd, waiting for the people to slowly leave and so she can find out her class ranking. She could even feel her heartbeat. She was dead nervous. Just what would her father say if she did not get a high rank?

"Hey Hinata-chan! Where have you been" called out a familiar voice. A blonde lady stepped out of the rally and ran towards her pale friend. "Have you seen your rank?"

She shook her head. "A-ano, m-my aunties brought me to get a pair of shoes."

"I see. I like your sweater today, by the way. I'm guessing it's Chan—" Yamanaka Ino arched an eyebrow, suddenly realizing something. "You're not actually waiting for them to disappear, are you?"

Hinata looked down.

Ino sighed. "You are." She said. "But then again, what are the odds? You can wait there all you want, but your rank still won't fail you."

The lavender-eyed girl immediately looked up. "Y-you s-saw my r-rank?"

"Of course I did! You're fifth in the batch!" She grinned. "Congratulations! You're really a smart one, Hinata-chan."

"O-oh…" Hinata frowned before sighing. _Fifth._ "A-ano, wh-who's th-the first rank?"

"Is that really necessary?" Ino asked. "Of course it's Sasuke-kun." She smiled. "He's been top one for nine straight semesters." She sighed dreamily. "If only he could tutor me, my rank will get higher, I bet! Oh, speaking of topnotchers, your cousin, Neji, he's top one in his batch, too."

She smiled. "R-really?"

"Yes. Anyway, I'll get going now. I have to scold Shikamaru. He got a rank higher than I did—again." Ino rolled her eyes. "By the way, my dad RSVPed in the business event on Friday. We'll definitely be there! Bye Hinata-chan, see you in Advance classes!"

She froze. She almost forgot about the event, and apparently, Ino's family, was invited. Whenever she remembered the event, she would always somewhat feel queasy—just what would she have to do? What if her father would change his mind because of poor ranking? Hinata sighed the thought off her mind and walked towards the ranking list. What Ino said was true. Her cousin is first in his batch, while she only got fifth. Maybe even her younger sister was first in her batch in elementary.

But not long after thinking about her family, her eyes drifted into the highest pointers: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. As usual, they were the top three, respectively.

Sasuke, she didn't really know nor care much about him. He was the coldest and most distant of them all, especially in Advance class, where they gather the top ten students for advance studies. Sakura, on the other hand, daughter of Haruno Aoi, a famous designer, is the captain of the cheerleading team. Aside from being one of the most desirable ladies in the campus, she also somehow managed to be the most intelligent girl in their batch.

Hinata can never compete with her.

Especially when it came to Naruto.

Naruto Uzumaki,… for _years_ she had been dreaming about him. He is the bright, sunny, happy, jolly Naruto that she had always loved. He was hailed the Most Valuable Player for two championships in basketball, plus he is one of the most intelligent. However, unlike Sasuke, he is extremely friendly and caring. He isn't excluding himself from anyone at all. He can talk to the loneliest souls in the campus and be friends with the jocks. His father, Minato Namikaze-Uzumaki was the heir to the merged Namikaze-Uzumaki Corporation, and is one of the world's most famous businessman, just like her father.

"He's so smart…" she absently muttered.

"No he's not! He's definitely not!"

Hinata jumped up in shock when she heard the shout right behind her ear, but once she found out who it was, she would nearly faint.

"That Sasuke-teme, he only beat me by point somethingty-one in Calculus and he thinks he's the most intelligent bastard in the universe! Well, he's right about the bastard part! Oh, he'll see later in Advance classes…" Naruto grumbled.

Hinata froze. She didn't know what to do at all. She couldn't even hear what he was saying. She was at a daze.

_It's Naruto-kun…_ she thought._ He's right… he's right there!_

"Urgh, if only I was given three more seconds to go through my notes I surely would've beaten him by a thousand points!" He crossed his arms, which were inside his orange sweater. That was another thing she loved so much about him. He could be himself, wear anything he want, say anything he want, without hesitation. "I'll surely beat him the next time." He faced Hinata, who turned maroon. "Right, Hinata-chan?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Not even a squeak.

"AAAH! It's Sasuke-teme!" Naruto faced the raven-haired guy who was passing by. His forehead was wrapped in gauze.

"If it isn't the dobe." Sasuke stopped walking then quickly glanced at the list before looking back at Naruto. "_Second place_ dobe,"

"GWAAAH! YOU SICK BASTARD! I bet you're wearing those bandages coz you tripped on your own ego!" Naruto retorted. "You think everyone adores you now, don't you?! You think you're all that and you're the smartest person in the world, well you're not! It was just my luck that day I got a question wrong in Calculus—it wouldn't happen again!"

"What are you doing here anyway? You know the results will be like this." He said, then looked at Hinata who was busy staring at the blond.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!"

"I meant that you're stupid. You don't even see the people staring at how stupid you are right now." He said before finally walking away.

Naruto clenched his fists and shook in anger before facing Hinata. "Sorry about that, but that bastard's just so annoying! Anyway, congratulations to you, Hinata-chan! At least we're still in Advance class, neh? We'd still see each other there." He winked. "I better go after that arrogant bastard." He waved before running away.

"Th-thanks…" She managed to say once he was gone. She sighed, regaining her composure slowly.

_Was that…_

* * *

"Oh it fits her perfectly!" Aiko clasped her hands together over her shoulder and smiled. "You look gorgeous my dear!"

"Aunt Aiko is right, Hinata-chan! You will be the most poised, elegant, savvy yet very sexy girl in that convention hall on Friday!" Hanako agreed.

Hinata's cheeks tainted pink, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. The dress was way out of her comfort zone—there were no sleeves, the top's neck-cut nearly reached her torso and the skirt hanging only up to the top of her knees. What more was the ten centimeter-high heeled shoes which she will soon, without a doubt, trip on when she walks.

"You look lovely my dear."

"You really do."

A knock on the door.

It was Mai, one of the maids in their house. "Aiko-sama, Hyuuga-sama has arrived from Moscow. He wishes to see Hinata-chan in his office as soon as possible." She reported.

"Alright, tell my brother-in-law that she will be coming." Aiko said. "Off you go now."

Mai bowed before leaving.

"Heard that, young lady? Go ahead and change and meet your father." Hanako said.

"We will be leaving now. Call us before you get dressed on Friday, okay? We'll see you then. Take care, darling." Aiko took her purse on the black coffee table and blew a kiss to her niece.

"Yes, send our regards to your father." Hanako said. "Don't forget to hang those and put them inside your special cabinet. You don't want any wooden antique smell on those, whatsoever."

"H-hai,"

"And _do not_ put those shoes on the floor, they will get dirty! Put them in your mother's shoe rack, that was always most beautiful." Aiko said, putting on her gloves. "Alright, we shall go now."

"G-goodbye," she bowed, and as soon as they left, she wished they would come back. She didn't want to face her father—she was too afraid of what he would say, especially since he most likely has learned that she did not get the first rank—again. She sighed, took off the high heels and the dress. She never mentioned to her aunties that all of her mother's things were burned down after her mother had died nine years ago.

They never even knew. They were never on good terms with her father, or the other way around.

* * *

"I heard you're top five."

Hinata froze before she was able to close the door of her father's office. "H-hai,"

"Your sister and your cousin are both top one."

She bit her lip. "H-hai,"

"Sit down."

She breathed out, nervous as hell, and walked silently towards the red couch adjacent to where her father was sitting. She was sure he was mad, furious even, that his oldest child did get the first rank.

"Tell me who got top one."

"A-ano, S-Sasuke Uchi—"

"I know." He cut her off. "The list was sent to me by a friend of mine who happens to work in your school. He is followed by Uzumaki Naruto, Minato's son, and then Haruno Sakura, Keiko's daughter, then Aburame Shino, Shinbi's son. Their parents are some of our clients. They wouldn't be able to run their business as successfully if not for _us._ Yet they got a higher rank than you, Hinata. Shame,"

She clutched her skirt.

"Who is this Uchiha Sasuke anyway? Whose son is he? I don't think he's of any prestigious family's. Uchiha… never heard of them. Perhaps they're one of our customers?" He nodded to himself. "Must be… he must be one of your school's scholars—the ones that they take from the streets to get elite education so that the school will look immaculate, while we pay thousands and thousands of money."

Hinata felt herself tremble. This was how she had to deal with her father. He insulted others to insult her, make her feel bad to the core. "A-ano, I r-really tried t-to—"

"Of course you did. But it wasn't enough. You have to surpass them all." He told her firmly. "On Friday, you will be named the heiress of the company. I will not lie to you, I was shook when I realized that your cousin is perhaps more capable of handling the business than you, but I will not hand it over to him unless you refuse it and show me that you refuse it."

She was relieved, but not quite. If it weren't for the little bit of pride she had within her, she wouldn't want to be the president of Hyuuga Group of Companies. But what shame would it bring to her father if she actually declined?

"Will you refuse it?"

She shook her head. "N-no, I w-won't."

"Very well then," he stood up. "I shall see you, your sister and your cousin for dinner. Did your aunties drop by this morning?"

"Y-yes, F-father. They g-got me sh-shoes for the—"

"That's the only thing they are good at anyway. Wasting money. Go ahead now, I have things to do."

She stood up and walked out of the office. The moment she turned around after closing the door, her cousin, Neji, was standing right before her, wearing a poker face. He blinked slowly before offering to shake her hand.

She was shocked by this.

"I heard that you have won." He said. "You will be taking the position of president once Uncle Hiashi resigns."

"A-aah…" she said, hesitantly taking his hand and shaking it.

He then released her hand from his grip, walked away, and wiped his hand on his handkerchief. She knew very well that Neji _really_ wanted the position, and yes, he deserved it more than she did.

_But…_

* * *

"You're late you fucking asshole." Greeted his father the moment he entered their old wooden house.

He lived in the slums, and usually came home past seven—minutes after their school has closed. He hated his house. He despised every bit of it—the yellow light, the smelly floor, the cracked dartboard, the dial TV, the cooler, the stove, his father, especially his father.

"I came from school."

"Well isn't that your excuse all the fucking time?"

He laid his bag on the tilted table. The house was even dirtier than it was before he left. Beer bottles, cigarettes, ashes… even a used condom were all over the place. He sighed, fortunate that he had done his homeworks in school (and kept them there) before pulling his sleeves up, revealing a series of scratches and wounds that were barely healed.

Sasuke then began picking up the trashes while his father lied on the sprung-bound couch that he had stolen from a bargain.

"That's why I like havin' ya around, kid." He patted Sasuke on the back.

The contact made Sasuke shiver. He would never get used to the man laying his hands on him. Not when he never had any good intention.

Well, it was better. This is better than how it would usually be. At least he wouldn't be tied on his wrists on the barb wire that hung from the ceiling and be lashed with the belt 'for entertainment'. At least, he wouldn't be forced to eat rotten rice like a dog. At least, this time, he wouldn't be locked up in the bathroom that stunk like it hadn't been cleaned for a decade.

He grunted, putting the bottles in the trash can.

_Just two more years…_

* * *

**I'm so nervous. :)) I need your feedback to write the next chapter :D. That was just the introduction. I'm estimating that the story has 2 arcs. It wouldn't be epic length. Just like _A Miracle._**

**Please do review! You don't have to criticize or anything, just say what you thought and if you have any ideas (yea, I love ideas :P).  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed the first chapter (again)! Particularly the anonymous ones, if you guys are reading this, since I don't know how to contact you, I'll just thank you here! I'm glad you guys somehow liked the idea of change. xD**

**Anyways, on with the story.**

**

* * *

  
**

**_Bruised;_**_ Ch02_

* * *

_Five-year-old Hinata Hyuuga was running along the school's hallway. She saw the kids before her, running, too, way faster than she did. They held it—the bear was around one of their arms._

_"W-wait! P-please, give that back!" She begged, tears threatening to fall down her eyes._

_They wouldn't listen._

_They wouldn't listen to her._

* * *

"Good morning, Hinata-sama," Mai opened the soft pink curtain of Hinata's room. The early sun weakly entered the room.

Hinata sleepily sat up once she heard the maid's voice, taking off her eye mask. "M-Mai-san," she recognized, rubbing her eyes until they watered clear, "g-good morning…" and yawned.

"It's six-thirty in the morning, Hinata-sama. Breakfast starts precisely at seven. Hyuuga-sama requested for your presence, as well as Hanabi-sama and Neji-sama. He would like to see you as soon as possible."

She nodded. It was their family tradition for a very long time—even before Hinata was born—that the morning after the family's head arrives from any country from a business meeting or the like, he or she would arrange Breakfast with the family and a few family friends. The last time they had Breakfast, it was the Harunos that came over.

It was just like any normal breakfast—minus the fact that they were complete.

Being a complete family was rare for her, and so it was only natural to prepare herself.

"Here," Mai walked over to the center table and got the tray, which she moved onto Hinata's bed. "I brought a biscuit and water. Please… eat it so you can start preparing yourself, Hinata-sama."

She nodded and followed the maid.

* * *

Sasuke pulled the covers towards him, half-asleep.

"It's seven-thirty, damn it!"

And immediately, he felt icy cold water drench his entire body. He quickly jumped out of he bed, still half-asleep, and composed himself. For some seconds he did not know what to do exactly, but as he woke up, he allowed himself to shake a little bit.

It was unusually cold today.

Sasuke looked around silently, facing the clock.

_6:32 AM_

"Your school is holding its foundation day today." Fugaku said, blowing cigarette smoke on his son.

Sasuke turned away from him and walked towards the chair, grabbing his old, unwashed jacket and worn out bag. Fugaku doesn't know that he studies in a prestigious school. He doesn't know that Sasuke is a scholar, and that he receives allowance monthly. He thinks that Sasuke studies in the town public school, which holds its foundation day at this very moment.

"You better hurry and man your booth."

He swung the bag on his shoulder and stopped in front of where he slept at. The mat and blanket are wet—as wet as his hair. He bent down and grabbed the both of them before heading towards the door.

"I'll be coming for support, son."

Sasuke swallowed, not wanting to look at all affected. _Money. The man needs money._

"Did ya hear me?"

"My shift isn't until lunch."

"Really?"

"Yes, for an hour." He said, leaving the house basically unkempt and wet, but he didn't care. He knew very well that staying in that house a second longer would be equivalent to another scratch, another bruise somewhere in his body.

* * *

"You look great, Hinata-sama." Mai said as they both took on the grand staircase of the Hyuuga mansion.

"Th-thank you, M-Mai." She said, blushing lightly. She wore perhaps the most comfortable wardrobe in the world. This was what she loved about Breakfast—the morning dresses. They could be as long as she wanted them to be, reaching both her wrists and ankles and it'd still be appropriate. For the morning, she wore a traditional white morning dress by Sakura's father and (secretly) her fluffy monkey slippers.

The both of them neared the azotea, where the breakfast nook stood. Through the windows, they both saw the people outside. Hinata quickly recognized her father and cousin. Hiashi sat beside two blond haired men, and Neji sat across them. Beside Neji were two other blond people, just about their age…

Hinata froze.

**_That_**_ blond?!_

She literally stopped.

"Hinata-sama?" Mai inquired.

"N-Naruto-kun…" she said softly, it was only the movement of her lips.

Naruto was talking to Ino—no, they looked more like they were _arguing_ over something_._ Not long after, Naruto rolled his eyes and somehow, it landed on the shocked Hyuuga. She turned even redder when he stood up and waved, mouthing "Hinata-chan!"

"Hinata-sama!"

"A-aah!" She shook her stance and breathed in. She did not expect Naruto to come over. Not at all. If she knew, she would have hid in her bedroom forever. Or not. She probably would have been awake by five.

Mai opened the door and Hinata walked into the breakfast nook, barely taking her eyes off Naruto.

"Hinata-chan! You look great!" Naruto grinned widely.

"She's right." Followed his father, Minato. "You look really cute. Good morning, Hinata-chan."

"Yes, I would say the same." Inoichi added.

"Th-thank—"

Neji held out a seat for her. "Sit down. Hanabi shall be down in a few minutes." He told her.

* * *

"It's no problem at all, Sasuke-san!" Rock Lee said, tossing the dipper into the pail. "You can help in the booth any time you want! It'd be great help for us! I just really don't understand why you would want to do such a thing."

"You don't have to." He said.

"Aah, I see…" he stood up and quickly examined the lad. "You must be trying to achieve the springtime of… ah… let's see…"

Sasuke sighed. "I'll come at lunch." He said as he walked away, leaving the anxious Rock Lee behind.

* * *

"Yosh!" Naruto cheered as he rode the Hyuuga limousine. "Tomorrow will be the night of our lives, I bet! I never liked tea until what you served, Hinata-chan! I should always come by for breakfast!"

Hinata blushed.

Ino threw her hair into a lazy ponytail and adjusted her gold beret cap on her head. They had changed from their morning wear to casual school wear a while ago. "I bought an Armani gown one size smaller than I am two weeks ago. It fits me perfectly now. I'll wear it tomorrow night." She shared.

"Yea, but you eat a single granola bar a day and low-fat yoghurt a night. What's so cool about that, huh?" Naruto grumbled. "Look at Hinata-chan, she doesn't starve herself but she still looks great!"

The Hyuuga lady turned red as strawberry.

"We'll never know what Hinata does to keep herself in shape." Ino joked, making the innocent Hinata turn to her questioningly. She laughed. "Oh, hey, look at that," she pointed out the window. "It's Uchiha Sasuke."

Hinata and Naruto looked outside. Sasuke was, in fact, there, waiting for the green man to light up. Hinata eyed Mai, silently messaging her chauffer to stop for a while, which he did. Ino rolled the window down.

"Aah! The teme!" Naruto pointed.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino greeted. "You off to school?"

For a moment, he eyed the three of them, not knowing what exactly he should do.

He nodded.

"Y-you can join us. W-we're also o-on our w-way to school." Hinata invited.

"Aaah! Why does the teme have to join us?!" Naruto objected.

"Oh shut up, Naruto." Ino said.

Mai got out of the car carrying a coat. She handed the coat to Sasuke, looked at her with a poker face. The maid was almost taken aback by the way he eyed her, but when he accepted the coat, she just opened the door and waited for him to enter.

* * *

It was definitely not his first time to see a limousine, studying in a school full of wealthy and materialistic people, but it was his first time inside one. The ceiling was covered with beige velvet, while the seats were spotless white. There was a faint smell if lemon airfreshener inside. He crumples his nose—airfresheners made his head ache—something he'd never admit to.

"A-ano, d-do you want anything, Uchiha-kun?" Hyuuga Hinata asked him. The quiet and extremely shy and unrelentingly rich Hyuuga Hinata, who owns this limousine, has offered him anything.

He composed himself, not wanting to look more ragged than he probably does. He kept the coat Hinata's maid handed him on his lap, not intending to wear it at all. The people before him—Ino, Naruto and Hinata—looked as if they were sparkling in their clothes, while he most likely looked like a rat, following this morning's incident.

He couldn't care any less.

All he could care about right now was Fugaku and the things that will happen if he finds out that he studies in Konoha University, and not in the town public school.

"Food." He said quickly and clearly, it couldn't have been said any better.

Hinata opened the small fridge on the floor. It was full of colored drinks. She turned to him. "A-ano, would you like w-waffles or muesli?"

"Both." He didn't even think about it.

She was mildly surprised at first, but gave him his request, anyway. Hinata handed Sasuke a box of Belgian waffles and a pack of processed muesli.

"Glutton," Naruto accused.

"Oh, don't be an idiot, Naruto." Ino spat at the other blonde as she poured a cup of hot chocolate. "A while ago, you were discussing about starvation and now you're calling Sasuke-kun a glutton." She hands him the cup.

"Well, I guess you have a point there." He said. "Eat up, you teme. You'll be needing energy to accept your loss later in Calculus."

Sasuke swallows his last bite of muesli, finishing it _very_ fast. "I don't need energy to beat you."

"Why you—"

"Nice one, Sasuke-kun!"

Hinata could only giggle.

* * *

Asuma blew his cigarette. Being a teacher _and_ the school's director's son did not stop him from his habit. It was one of the things that he had taught his students in his class, History. 'You'll be known for the things that you do. Be who you want to be.'

He wanted to be a smoking teacher, as weird as it can sound.

"Somebody tell me what precisely happened at this very date, nine years ago." He spoke.

Well, he did his job pretty well.

Aburame Shino raised his hand. The teacher gave him permission to recite. "February 2nd," he began, "the mysterious death of Agatha Krauss, the wife of Vincent Krauss, and the abduction of his son, Ambrose Krauss. The said events have not been solved up to this very moment."

"That's correct." Asuma said. "Nine years ago, Vincent Krauss, the world's richest man at that time, became the loneliest man on Earth. Both his wife and his son left him, and like what Shino had mentioned, the whereabouts of Ambrose is still unknown to the world."

Naruto grumbled. "I don't understand why we're studying the life of that man. Can't we go back to the French Revolution? I like that topic."

"Naruto, you don't understand." Asuma said. "This is a very important event in the business world. You are not very familiar with him because he's an American. Ask your parents about him, especially you, Naruto. Your father has ties with that man."

"Stalker," the blond huffed.

"Anyway, in connection with that event, I am giving you work, class." He tossed his cigar on the ash tray. "Research on cases that are unsolved up to this date, it will be your project for this trimester. Are there any questions?"

Sakura raised her hand. "Sensei, what kind of output are we supposed to pass to you? And when is it due?"

"Good question, thank you for remembering Ms. Haruno. All ten of you will be reporting your input next week. I will be giving you at most ten minutes to tell me _every single thing _about your chosen case. That's not very hard now, is it? Oh, and you are not allowed to use that of Vincent Krauss's as your case." He lit another cigarette and checked his watch. "The bell's late again, class dismissed. Sasuke, I'll be talking to you outside."

* * *

Hinata knew Vincent Krauss, and the tragedy that hit him nine years ago. The man and her father are major rivals in the business world for some reason that she never knew. But what made him most memorable was the fact that a day after his loss, _she_ was the one who lost someone.

Her mother.

She remembered herself catching the kids who stole her teddy bear in school when she was five years old. It was given by her mother for her birthday. It was the first—the _only_ thing she received from her mother, who wasn't really the motherliest of them all. But she was her mother, and there was nothing that she could have ever done about it.

_"But your birthday was two months ago!"_

_"Sh-she ano… she s-said she looked f-for this one th-that's why it took some t-time…"_

She sighed, barely listening to Asuma. She asked herself what exactly happened during those days. It was so long ago, and she was so young, that she couldn't quite recall what happened to that stuffed toy of hers.

"Hinata,"

"Y-yes?" She snapped out of her trance. "I-Ino-chan?"

"We're dismissed." She cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Hinata shook her head. "I-it's nothing…" She stood up and got her bag.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, and soon, they went out of the classroom. The ladies passed by Asuma and Sasuke conversing about something that seemed very important beside the door.

* * *

"Your allowance for this month will come late." The bearded man told his student. "The director says he is sorry for the inconvenience, but it will definitely arrive by… let's say, two weeks from now."

The raven haired lad's eyebrows met. "I see."

"Again, sorry. But if you need anything, I will be able to lend you some."

Sasuke shook his head. Owing his teacher money? What dumb shit. "I don't. I'm fine." He said before turning around and leaving for the next class. It was clear, though, that he wasn't fine.

* * *

"A class trip?!"

Iruka arched an eyebrow. "Yes. It's an all-expense-paid educational trip for the Advanced students, for the ten of you." He explained. "We have been sponsored by NU Airlines, and Haruno-san was very generous to let us stay in their private island in the Caribbean." He said. "We will be there for five days and five nights."

"Is that true, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. "We're going to stay at your place?"

"Yeah. My mom told me that we'll be there Monday to Friday. Didn't your dad tell you anything?"

He shook his head. "That old man hasn't told me anything."

"Neh, Naruto, can we ride your dad's new plane?" Chouji asked. "My dad said that one of his students in culinary school is a chef in there. He cooks really good—I want to eat what he prepares."

"This is so troublesome. I'd rather stay here."

"You can't do that, you slacker."

Sasuke raised his hand. "I won't come."

* * *

The Uchiha kicked a stone as he walked going home. He indeed manned a booth in the public school fair at lunch, and his father _did_ come. Thankfully, he had hid the earnings of the booth and wasn't able to get a single cent out of him.

His class did not like the idea that he wasn't coming to the trip in the Caribbean. They asked him questions, much to his annoyance. Damn rich kids, thinking they can have everything their way. Especially Sakura, who nearly cried, begging him to join them, much to Naruto's dismay.

Naruto.

Ever since he stepped in Konoha University, it was Naruto and he who were head on head with each other. He always won, though, but Naruto never gave up on him. Whenever he was with the blond, he could really _talk_ and say what he really felt. Of course, it wasn't something he would admit—not even to himself. He never saw _any_ of the girls that tried to catch his attention. The only girl that ever caught her attention was Haruno Sakura, and it was because Naruto was always being rejected by her.

It made him mad, but it made him happy, too. He hated Sakura, and he didn't like anybody getting near Naruto. Not that he can do anything about that. He shook his head, wanting that feeling to go away, leave him forever. Just because he felt a little more than he really is when he is with Naruto, whenever the blond would insult him for being smarter, faster, it felt so _good._ But he couldn't let that take over. As far as he was concerned, the most important thing right now to him was staying on top.

And as long as Naruto was a point below him in Calculus, he would be fine.

Sasuke opened the door to his house, getting ready for some flying object or yell from his father. To his surprise and relief, there was none. In fact, his father was not there. He placed his bag on the table and went outside to get his dried mattress and blanket. After that, he went to their fridge to check if there was anything to eat. The fridge was about as small as the one in the limousine, but it wasn't as full.

It was dead empty. There was only a box of contraceptives and a garlic inside. He wanted to throw the machine to the ground and smash it with a hammer, pretend that it was his father, and hit it until it was as flat as the floor.

But he did not. Instead, he noticed something. The opened drawer, with a black strap dangling for inside.

Almost slowly, Sasuke opened the drawer and checked the bag. For a brief moment he froze.

It was empty.

It was empty.

_It was empty._

There was a lump in his stomach.

That bag was where he kept _everything._ His report cards, his awards, his certificates, his medals… and now it is empty. There was absolutely _nothing_ left inside. Not even a scrap of paper.

He began to shake.

He had around ten report cards in there—all of them A+. The awards and certificates were around twenty. He had three bronze medals from academic competitions, three silver medals from being an athlete, and five gold medals for various other reasons—including valedictory award. Sasuke cursed. He cursed loud and crisp. He felt insulted and disrespected—more than he had _ever_ felt in his entire life.

_All his hard work…_

"So you study in Konoha University…"

Those were the last words that he heard before he felt something hard on his back.

* * *

**TBC**

**HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I'm sorry if you found this chapter messy. But this is one of the turning keypoints of the story. I'll shut up now.  
**

**Thank you for reading and please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

**_Bruised;_**_ Ch03_

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_

Breathing.

He is breathing. He can feel the soft sound of his inhales and exhales, the air that passed though his nose and entered his lungs…

He is alive. He almost couldn't believe it.

Slowly, he realized that he has already opened his eyes, and that he is looking straight at the ceiling made of whitewashed plywood. He absently counted the parts that were sealed with elastic. He blinked and attempted to sit up—he isn't in his house. There are no holes, no scrapes, no alcoholic smells—

He is on a _bed._

"Sasuke-san, you're awake!" A familiar voice said.

Inadvertently, he was forced down the bed, not because he was surprised, but because of the sudden pain that struck his back muscles. "Shit," he muttered and turned to his right to find Rock Lee walking towards him after getting up on a wooden sofa.

"My father found you outside last night so he brought you here," says the thick-browed lad.

Sasuke remembers now. He was outside of his house because his father threw him out in anger. He did not like the fact that Sasuke kept his scholarship—his _money—_from him. After going to the public school's foundation day, Fugaku went to his house in pure frustration. He had no money after Sasuke did not give him any from the booth, threw the already wrecked house into another havoc, unfortunately finding his son's sacred bag to his content. To avenge his frustration, he burned everything that combustible and sold the medals like they were jewelry, bought himself racks of gin and the rest…

…The rest were _painful_.

He still feels the hard hammer on his back, his father's rough hands on his neck and shoulders, daggers of fists on his empty stomach. He still tastes the aged slipper that was shoved in his tonsils until he threw up. He still hears the pieces of furniture on the floor, the shattering glasses, the clanging steel and the threatening shouts.

It isn't new.

But he can never get used to it.

"I don't have anything to feed you with right now…" Lee scratched the back of his head. "Father left a few coins for some food but your wounds were far more important than our stomach! What good is food for if your friend is bleed—"

"Shut up," Sasuke said softly yet clearly from the top of his throat, clutching the sheets and nearly ripping them in the process.

Lee paused. He eyed the thin, wounded pale man on the bed. He could no longer hide the sympathy that he felt for him and looked down as if he didn't have any other choice. Today isn't the first time that it happened.

"Don't say a word about it." The raven-haired man continues. "Not to anyone."

* * *

"Tonight, I can write the saddest lines." The entire class recited the first few lyrics of the poem by Pablo Neruda. In a few hours, the speech choir will be starting. Standing on their positions and doing what they were tasked to do, the students were almost done with their last-minute enhancements.

Hinata belongs to Group C, or the high-pitched voices. They began humming The Requiem with Group A as Group B said the next lines.

"Hyuuga!" Shouted their facilitator. "Open your mouth!"

Nervously, she nodded and went on with the group. Even though it barely started, the day proved to be too much for her. With her mother's death anniversary, the speech choir and the business party, she did not know where exactly to set her mind at.

"I loved her," they said in perfect harmony, "and sometimes, she loved me too."

She gripped her skirt, trying to compose herself to no avail. All she felt was nervousness that grew more and more every minute. To think she had to talk and face an audience just made her want to faint and miss everything.

"My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her,"

But she can't.

_I have to try_. She straightened her back, ignoring the latest call of her facilitator and breathed in. _I can do this_. They echoed the first two groups gently, naturally, collecting all sorts of melancholy that was left in the room as they practiced…

…and in the theatre as they performed.

"And these are the last verses that I write for her."

The class looked at those sitting on the velvet seats, staring at them, teary-eyed. "Tonight, I Can Write by Pablo Neruda," they said, for the last time, in chorus, before bowing as the lights dimmed. The theatre was brought up to their feet, admiring the perfect direction, aesthetics and harmony of the class that headed to the backstage as the next one took the stage.

"We were great! That was great, guys!"

"You bet!"

"Hinata, very good job." Their facilitator commended her.

She blushed, and then realized something. "A-ano, I h-have to go." She said and excused herself from her classmates. The Hyuuga, still clad in white clothes, ran towards the theatre's house until she had a good view of the stage. Hinata didn't have to search for so long, she had found him the instant she turned around. His blue eyes were undeniable.

Naruto's class was systematically divided into four, three groups stood idle behind the one that was in front, changing positions as the stanzas did. They recited a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, but she didn't bother listen. She could only stare at him wearing Santa Claus' costume. Her eyes followed his every move while they walked to the right, giving the center stage to the next group.

The next one clearly depicted a wedding ceremony. Sakura was the bride, wearing a beautiful dress that her father must have designed. In fact, everything that the class wore must have been created by Mr. Haruno. She was about to look back at Naruto when she noticed something—

Sasuke, the groom.

She didn't know why exactly, but something was wrong. Yes, he wore sophisticated tuxedo, and he himself did not look at all bad but… something was wrong with how he was standing, how he was looking at the audience, it was as if he was going to pass out.

"Mingling with the watchers when the show is not yet done?"

Hinata stiffened.

"Very unprofessional,"

She turned around to find her cousin. "N-Neji-niisan…"

"You're supposed to be in the backstage until the intermission—or the ending. Did you not know that, Hinata?" He questioned her coldly. "You must be eyeing somebody. Allow me to guess, it's that groom over there." She opened her mouth to speak, but was not able to say anything coherent as Neji cut her quickly. "Why, can you not tell him how you feel?"

"I-it's not th-that—"

"If you can't tell him how you feel then how do you suppose will you face two thousand five hundred people tonight?"

Hinata frowned, sensing instinctively that her cousin was taking the conversation to somewhere completely different to where she is.

"There is still time, Hinata. You do not want to lose your dignity, the family's dignity, by fainting in front of everybody. You wouldn't do it—you can't do it." He pressed into her. "The best thing you can do is be smart today, at least. Uncle Hiashi will appreciate you backing out before the event more than backing out on the event itself."

She looked down, absorbing everything that he threw.

"There is still time, Hinata. You're not hearing the bells enough, let them get to you." He finalized before turning around and walking away, intelligently connecting their conversation to the poem that just finished being recited on stage.

* * *

"Hinata-sama, I have called your aunties. They said they will be coming over the house by five o' clock." Mai reported as soon as Hinata entered the limousine. "You have precisely two hours and fifty-eight minutes before the event. Would you like to pass by the spa salon?"

She shook her head, resting her back on the backrest and placing her bags beside her. After her encounter with Neji, she seriously had thought about giving up her father's plan of laying the company on her hands. After all, he was right. Just what would she say? Moreso, could she manage the business? What if she fails? What if she brings the company down?

"By the way, this is from Mr. Lent's son, Maverick." The maid handed Hinata a box of cookies.

Hinata hesitantly took the box and opened it. There were around ten pieces of chocolate chip cookies inside, and they all looked tasty. Maverick Lent has been sending her many things since she turned thirteen. She has never seen him in person, and somehow had figured that the guy is trying to court her.

"He will be coming later, Hinata-sama. He will be in the party." Mai supplied her. "Should we start driving home now?"

Hinata nodded and took a bite as the chauffer began to drive. As the car accelerated, she noticed something—_someone_. "W-wait! S-stop!"

At once, the limousine halted. Hinata looked out the window just to be sure, and when she was not mistaken, she left the car holding the box of cookies Maverick sent her. Passing the considerable crowd of wealthy people, she ran towards her raven-haired schoolmate who was walking to the other direction, wearing a familiar jacket.

She tapped him on the back once she was close enough. "W-wait!"

He, for some reason, flinched at her touch and moaned slightly, as if he were in pain.

This, she did not notice. All she remembered was how fragile he looked on stage, and it automatically led her to the conclusion that he was hungry, just like the last time that he rode to school with them. "A-ano, U-Uchiha-san," she offered him the box of cookies as he turned around, "for you." She said as he accepted her offer.

He arched an eyebrow. For some moments, they just eyed each other awkwardly, before Sasuke broke it. "What do you want?"

She became amused, and ran out of things to say when there's nothing to begin with.

"Never mind," he said before turning around and walking away.

For a while, she allowed whatever happened to register to her head, but they barely did. She just turned around and walked back into the limousine. On her way back, she noticed her cousin standing. He had been watching her, expression angered.

She frowned, immediately looking away from him, and was accompanied by her maid back in her car.

* * *

Sasuke swallowed the last bit of cookie that Hinata had given him before keeping the box in his bag. He was thankful she gave him that, or else he wouldn't have eaten anything the entire day. Doing his best not to limp, he entered a convenience store and walked straight to the counter.

"Yes, how can I help you?" Asked the lady on the counter. She smiled at him, eyeing him with deep interest.

"I want to talk to the manager."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean call your manager."

"What the—why?! You haven't bought or done anything, is there something wrong?"

"I said I wanted to talk to your manager." He said in a much annoyed tone. "Will you call him or not?"

The lady huffed and pouted. "Jeez," she turned around and opened the door behind her, calling someone named 'Terry.' In no time, an obese man entered the shop, looking very grumpy and sleepy. "This boy's looking for you."

"Eh? What's the problem? Have you even bought anything yet?"

Sasuke shook his head. _Money hog_, like he wasn't used to it. "I was going to ask if I can land a job here."

"A job?!" Terry repeated. "What would you need a job for? You look rich. You study in that school there!" He pointed at the tallest tower of Konoha High. "…and that jacket looks pretty neat." He added.

He stared at the manager, getting impatient.

"Hm… what's your name?"

"Uchiha Sasuke,"

"Age?"

"Sixteen,"

"What job do you want? And why?"

"Any job that pays for that reason,"

Terry grunted. "Alright, alright, but you can't start until I fire Nobara. Never liked that girl, very lazy, always late…"

The lady rolled her eyes. "That ugly bitch. You're right, fire her. Your store will do so much better with good-looking cashiers."

_A cashier_, he sighed. "When will that be?"

Terry scratched the back of his head. "The day after tomorrow,"

He also asked about the pay, which was considerably average, and fixed the shifts with Yanagi, the lady beside Terry. He was bound to work every after school until 9 P.M. and every morning on weekends.

"Can I get an advance?" He asked.

The manager only glared at him in response. With that, Sasuke knew his cue. He left the convenience store carrying nothing but his bag and headed towards the library to begin his homework.

* * *

There is a girl, a pale one, wearing a dress and high heels in front of her. Hinata blinked, and so did she.

_What will I do?_

"Hinata-chan, this is Jasmine. She is a famous hairstylist all the way from Los Angeles. She will fix your hair today." Aiko introduced Hinata to a red haired lady who entered the powder room. The Hyuuga smiled meekly.

"And this one is Carrie. She is the best makeup artist in the world!" Hanako complimented the brunette that followed Aiko and Jasmine.

They all looked very pretty. All she could do was face the mirror, look at that girl who did exactly what she did, and allow whoever to do whatever they wanted with her.

Sometimes, she didn't like mirrors. They never pleased her, the same way she never seemed to please her father.

If she followed Neji, Hiashi will get mad at her for failing him. If she followed herself, Hiashi will get mad at her for failing the family.

She gulped. They were both no good. It was a matter of what is bad and what is worse.

"Please be stable," Carrie instructed. "Don't be nervous, Hinata-chan. You will look stunning after this."

She nodded, feeling the insult in her statement.

"Oh don't listen to her, Hinata-chan, you are _very cute_."

* * *

Hinata's heels clicked on the floor of the dark room as she attempted to walk straight—she couldn't. She would always have to wobble or trip, not able to stand erect, but she tried anyway.

Aside from her shoes, she also was worried about what to say, or what to do, exactly.

"Good evening, everyone," her father's voice echoed in the convention hall that was door away from her. She gulped. Any moment now, her father will call for her. She would have to face everyone, talk.

_Help me_. She prayed to whoever heard. _Please help me_.

* * *

"Have you gotten your allowance yet?"

Sasuke stopped walking and faced his father who sat by the door, wearing a sly smile on his face. "I haven't. You got them all."

"That couldn't be your _only_ money, son. You have been studying there for how many years?"

He grunted.

"Don't give me that face."

* * *

There was a knock on the door, and Yamanaka Ino entered the room wearing a long-sleeved dress that resembled a mosaic of tiny mirrors and reached some inches above her knees. Her hair lightly curled behind a thin silver headband, and she wore strapped high heels—even higher than what she wore—and she looked… she looked absolutely _breathtaking. _

"What're you doing with the lights out in this room?!" The blonde reached for the switch and turned the light on. Shikamaru followed right after her, wearing black tux.

"I-Ino-chan, Sh-Shikamaru-kun!"

"The party started."

"A-ano… w-where did you p-pass by?" She couldn't help but ask. The room she was in was as good as a backstage, and the guests entered through the main entrance—all the way to the other side of the building.

"Back entrance," Ino said glumly. "This guy here is too shy to face the paparazzi."

* * *

"Don't be afraid of me, son." Fugaku grinned.

He still hasn't moved a spot from where he stood since he had stopped. Sasuke clenched his fists.

"That jacket looks amazing, by the way. Is that where your money goes to?" His father stood up and inspected the jacket that he wore. "Very nice, isn't it? I wonder how much this cost you."

* * *

"O-oh…" She looked at the brunet who just yawned.

"Can I stay here? Parties are too noisy." He sat down the sofa.

Ino raised an eyebrow. "You are so lazy, Shika. Of course you can't stay here, are you an idiot? You didn't dress up to sleep."

"I dressed up against my will." He shot her a look.

The lady merely rolled her eyes. "Anyway, let's go out together, Hinata. I'm excited to hear what you're going to say." She grinned.

Hinata smiled. True, she was scared to her toes, but walking into the hall with her friends will definitely ease her mind.

* * *

"That Hiashi, always talking big about Hyuuga Corps," said a woman. "As if he's really _that _big."

The other one laughed lightly. "Oh you are right. He thinks the big picture is so fascinating, but if you look in detail, he is nothing but a local business climber. He is nothing compared to Mr. Krauss."

Hinata gulped. The women, wives of famous businessmen, sat on a separate chair from their husbands. She sat with her friends, Ino, Shikamaru, Sakura, Shino, Chouji and Naruto around a table beside the gossiping women. Only she seems to hear what they are talking about.

"The biggest share that he has is 2 percent of that smalltime electric company, I even forgot how you call that."

"Yes, and he has stocks in Japan's major water distributor, not to mention Channel N."

"Oh, Lydia, like what I said, it's all in the small picture. Imagine, he doesn't have his own business and he talks as if he is that important. He has no connections abroad, too. I wonder why he goes to all those overseas conventions."

"He must be trying."

"And failing!" The entire table said altogether before bursting into a fit of giggles.

* * *

Sasuke took off his long sleeved shirt and unwrapped his arm. He had no gauze bandage, as it was only Lee's generous act that gave him one. He gritted his teeth—it hurt. _They_ hurt.

"Damn," he cursed when a bolt of pain struck his back. He crouched, sitting on the toilet seat.

* * *

"Everyone, may I have your attention, please." Hiashi stood up, clinging his wine glass with his spoon. The hall fell silent.

"This is it, Hinata-chan!" Naruto whispered crisply. "It's your moment!"

She blushed, worried deep inside.

"Today is a special day for me, for my family, for Hyuuga Groups of Companies." He said. "I have been chairman, CEO of the family business since I was twenty-three years old. I have done considerable things for it, as I had presented throughout my stay."

Hinata watched her father. He looked prouder than ever.

"However, life is short, and I cannot, I am not intending to spend the rest of my life as a businessman. The day will come and I shall retire from this stressful yet glorious position in the company."

Ino nudged her friend.

"I have made up my mind on who I shall hand over the family's pride, this business that ran smoothly, progressively, since the early nineteen hundredths by our ancestors and predecessors." He looked around the crowd. "And I am confident that that person will continue the success and make it even better than ever, make a bigger, brighter Hyuuga Group of Companies."

She nearly sank down her seat. The words were big. _Very_ big.

"That person is my daughter, Hinata." He looked at his daughter.

The hall exploded into a fit of applause. Hinata looked at her friends, who grinned at her in encouragement. She stood up, forgetting how high the heels she was standing on is. She walked towards her father, up that platform, and her father left her alone on the centerstage. She looked at the massive crowd of people—two thousand five hundred of them.

Hinata opened her mouth, suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous.

She scanned the crowd. She found Naruto and his bright aura. She smiled, feeling inspired all of a sudden. "T-today…"

And then she saw her cousin, smirking.

"Today… a-ano…"

There were tables and tables of eyes looking straight at her mercilessly. Her heart beat so fast, so loud, so hard…

"T-t-today…"

She squeaked, as if she was about to cry. _I can't do it. I can't do it._ She looked around her, hearing voices of people in her head.

_"Tonight, I can write the saddest lines..."  
"You will look stunning after this."  
"You aren't hearing the bells enough. Let them get to you."  
"What do you want?"_

What do I want? she thought in complete silence and confusion. The crowd grew anxious.

And the world stopped turning as she thought of what she should say.

* * *

**TBC.**

**Thank you for reading and please review.  
Cliffhangers suck, right?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

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**I haven't written in a long time! Way too many projects. Plus our finals.**

**Nevertheless, it's already vacation! So… I have more free time now, which means, I have more time to write.**

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* * *

  
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**_Bruised;_**_ Ch04_

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* * *

  
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_What do you want?_

_What do I want?_ She silently thought to herself. "T-today…"

A hall of anxious eyes looked at her, every single one of them. Her vision darkened and her spine shivered, but the pair of cold white eyes never flinched away from her, as if criticizing every little thing that she is doing.

_I want to..._

Want to…

"Today… is a v-very special day."

Half of the room burst into a fit of merciless giggles. Hinata glanced at her father, veins appearing on both sides of his temples and gritting his teeth, swallowing every bit of shame he was feeling. She looked down and stopped a tear from escaping her eyes.

"B-because n-nine years ago… my m-mother died."

That was when the hall fell silent.

* * *

Staring at the cracked ceiling, he slowly breathed in and out. He could hear his father's loud snore from the couch, while he lied on his back on the cold, wooden floor.

For sixteen years, he had been under the care, or no care, of that man. It was practically a living hell, he couldn't remember anything beyond his seventh year—the time when Fugaku still had his other son, his brother Itachi. He remembered being kept inside a dark room, not sure where that dark room is exactly. He wasn't sure of how long he stayed inside that room either. One day, two days, maybe even a week.

He never felt hungrier and thirstier those times. He didn't know who he was—his name, his eye color, how he looked like. Not one. He saw ghosts and heard voices—it was unbearable.

And it felt so bad that he didn't remember how he lived after it.

* * *

She didn't really remember what exactly happened nine years ago, the reason why her mother died and all. They never talked about it. If there was something she _did_ remember, though, it would be the look on her father's face. "I… I know h-how down my father felt…"

Those were sad days. She saw the darkness in her father's white eyes. A mixture of sorrow, anger and guilt. She wished she could, but she couldn't do a thing about it. She couldn't help him, she couldn't even go near him.

_I want to…_

Hinata gulped and took a deep breath, turning her gaze to the white-eyed man.

_I want to…_

"I will not let you down." She finally was able to tell him, feeling a considerable amount of burden off her chest. Forgetting about the applause that filled the hall, she stepped down the platform and headed towards her father, not even wobbling on her high heels. She had always been afraid to tell him anything, afraid that he wouldn't listen or believe. But not this time.

She couldn't help but smile.

Her father smiled back.

"Well done, Hinata." He raised his champagne glass.

She lightly bowed her head, feeling her proudest, not noticing her friends who were cheering for her or her cousin who bitterly eyed her.

"He's absolutely right, Hinata-chan."

Hinata turned around and found Aiko and Hanako appearing out of nowhere, their grins from ear-to-ear. "G-good evening…" She greeted, feeling a little worried. Her father and her aunts were _never_ on good terms.

"You did very well up there, Hinata-chan. Short but heartfelt. The media _loves_ that." Aiko said, then eyed Hiashi, who didn't even look at them. "You must be very, _very_ proud of my niece, are you not, Hiashi?"

He didn't reply.

"How cold of you," Her eyebrows met as she sighed and cupped Hinata's cheeks. "Don't worry, I bet your mother is _very_ proud of you, Hinata-chan. You remembered her more than anyone else in this room."

* * *

_Do I have a mother?_

On the rarest occasions, he would secretly ask himself human questions. He never knew who his mother was, is, whatever. He never asked, either. But, he couldn't help but wonder how it felt like, how it must feel like, to have a mother. Maybe he wouldn't be in such a bad state. Maybe Lee's father didn't have to represent his father in urgent school meetings. Maybe his spine wouldn't pester him so much. Maybe his father wouldn't hit him at all.

His eyes darted open, realizing something.

Maybe…

just _maybe_…

…he's the reason why she's gone?

* * *

She opened her mouth, "That's not—"

"I have no time to chitchat with the both of you." Hiashi stood up and walked towards a table of other businessmen.

Hanako rolled her eyes. "Anyways, Hinata-chan, we have to introduce you to a friend of ours."

"Yes, come over," Aiko held Hinata's arm and led her. She looked around for her friends, or for a certain blond, wanting to hear what they (or he) were going to tell her. But there were too many people, and her aunt's hold on her didn't cease.

Wobbling her way to the table at the corner of the hall, Hinata, Hanako and Aiko stopped and were welcomed by a blond man in a black tuxedo. He smiled at each of them cheekily.

Hinata blinked.

"Good evening, Hanako-san, Aiko-san," He greeted them and shook the hands of the older women. "And Hyuuga-chan, of course" he offered a hand to her. "Well done up there, I must say. Very impressive!"

She blushed. "Th-thanks,"

"Hinata-chan, this is Mr. Lent," Aiko said. "He owns an oil refinery in Arizona, Texas and New Mexico in the States, and he is currently expanding his business here in Japan." She finished. "If I am not mistaken, you are transferring here for good?"

"We are still thinking about it, but my wife was Japanese before she died sixteen years ago." He said without a trace of despair on his face. "The business was originally for Japan, but there were rules before so we started in the US first. It is very hard to start a business here."

"That is _so_ true." Aiko giggled. "You look dashing, by the way. And who may these be?" She referred to the three teenagers sitting around the table. They bowed their heads at her when she looked at them. Aiko smiled back.

"Why, thank you. The three of you look stunning as well." He complimented, and the two older women thanked him while Hinata only blushed harder. "Those are my children, by the way. Trey, Celine and Maverick. Maverick is about your age, Hyuuga-chan."

Hinata bowed her head at the three, vaguely remembering the latter. "Nice t-to meet you."

"Why don't we leave the kids to know each other?" Hanako suggested. "Hinata-chan is a very friendly girl."

"Splendid idea," Mr. Lent turned to his children. "Behave well, children." He placed himself between the sisters and his arms landed on their backs. They gracefully walked away from the table.

Hinata remained standing, staring at the three siblings who stared right back at her. She was about to excuse herself when the oldest one, Trey, broke the awkward silence.

"So this is Hinata Hyuuga?" He chuckled. "Take a seat."

"U-uhm, a-ano, I have to—"

"No, I insist." He said. "Brother, don't you remember? She's the one who that old jeezer keeps on yelping about on you."

Maverick glared at him.

"Too much, Kankurou, that's enough." Celine said. "But, yes, Hinata-chan, do take a seat. We don't want to be impolite."

_Kankurou?_

"Now you get her twisted." Trey said.

"We're in Japan, it's just right that we use our Japanese names." She rolled her eyes.

"I didn't say anything. Just said you got her twisted,"

Annoyed, the youngest one, Maverick, stood up from his chair, pulled Hinata down a seat and pushed her back into the table. She watched him as he returned to sit down and sigh exasperatedly.

"Awww, how sweet of you, Gaara."

She remembers who Maverick Lent is. In fact, she just received a box of cookies from him earlier this day. She wasn't at all shocked with the whole sibling rivalry—she saw that everyday with Naruto and Sasuke (even though they're not exactly siblings), but… the names?

Trey became _Kankurou_ and Maverick became_ Gaara_?

She absently twitched.

_What the…_

Celine chuckled. "You see, Dad is American our mom was Japanese so we're all dual citizens."

"Except for me," Trey, or Kankurou, said. "I chose to be American when I turned eighteen last year. But you can call me whatever you want to call me, I don't really give a shit about it." He stood up. "I'll go look for prospects." And left.

"O-oh…" Hinata barely said.

"Anyway, you live in Japan. Surely you've met a lot of dual citizens." Celine finished, and Hinata mentally shook her head. "My Japanese name is Temari. Since you're Japanese, you should address us with our Japanese names."

She blinked, and when she realized that they anticipated for her answer, "O-okay, T-Temari-san."

"Very well then," Temari smirked. "Why don't you tell us about yourself?"

* * *

9:50 PM

_How troublesome can this get?_

Shikamaru sighed as he walked through the crowd. It wasn't an overstatement when they said that over two thousand people were coming. The hall was filled with the 'business noise'. He didn't like it. He'd much rather stay at home and sleep, but thanks to his parents, and Ino, who nagged him the whole week, he ended up coming.

Just a few moments ago, Hinata finished her short speech. He genuinely wanted to be happy for her, but he can't. Being the only son—only _child_, to be precise—, he had gone through what Hinata just did. And it wasn't at all fun. Especially the things that would come after.

Aside from unimaginable expectations in terms of behavior and academics, his marriage has also been arranged. No doubt, Hinata's will be arranged in no time as well.

It's not that he didn't like Ino. She just gets so naggy at times… like for example, today.

He sighed when he reached the corner of the hall. "There you are," he said once he stepped behind Hinata.

"Sh-Shikamaru-kun!" Hinata turned to him. "A-ano, w-what are you doing here?"

He yawned. "Ino wants to talk to you."

She didn't really _tell him_ to look for Hinata. She was just blabbing about what she wanted to tell the newly-crowned heiress—she and Naruto—how she wanted to congratulate her and tell her how amazing what she just did, so on, so forth. And he couldn't get a nice sleep because of that. He didn't like it when blondes go together—they get _really_ annoying.

Speaking of blondes, "Excuse me, we're in the middle of a conversation," said one.

He raised an eyebrow.

"B-but, ano, T-Temari-san I h-have to…"

"No, you can't. And you won't. You're staying here, Hinata-chan."

He groaned. She's almost as annoying as Naruto, but this isn't going to work. "I'll stay then." He sat down.

Two pairs of eyes widened.

"What do you think you're doing?" The blonde asked. "You can't do that—"

"This is troublesome, but I'll stay until Hinata comes back." He rested his chin on his palm and turned to Hinata. "Ino and Naruto want to tell you something. Come back here when you're done talking."

He knew that Hinata didn't feel comfortable around foreigners. She quickly took off without another word. Shikamaru curled his arms on the table and rested his forehead to sleep. The corner table is a quiet spot. He can sleep there.

"Unbelievable," he heard the blonde mutter.

* * *

"_Bonsoir(1)_," Hiashi said over the microphone. The hall silenced. "Some months ago, I traveled to one of the best countries in the world—France. Their cuisine there is extraordinarily good. And, in the spirit of celebration, I have brought with me some of the finest chefs from Paris who would be taking any French order." He continued. The hall gave out a sound of amusement when French waiters and waitresses addressed them personally. "Enjoy the night."

"_Vous desirez commander?(2)_" asked a waiter.

Temari arched an eyebrow. "Gaara, did you take French electives?"

He shook his head.

She composed herself and faced the waiter again. "English or Japanese?"

The waiter shook his head. "_Nous n'avans pas de _Englishor Japanese._ Francois? (3)_"

"English?" She repeated, feeling extremely irritated.

"What're you doing?" Shikamaru asked her.

"Oh, shut up. It's not like you can do anything." She sighed, honestly feeling hungry. "How annoying. That old man purposely hired French-speaking waiters to embarrass us." Temari rolled her eyes. "Damn him,"

Not left with any other choice, the brunet faced the waiter. "_Monsieur,_"

_"Oui, monsieur,_" the waiter turned to him.

"_La carte, s'il vous plait. (4)_"

"_Entendu, (5)_" he handed Shikamaru the menu. The brunet read the list.

"Do you eat meat, by any chance?" He lazily asked the two. They didn't reply. He once again sighed, "This is _most_ troublesome," he slapped his forehead with his palm and eyed them, asking them once more, "_Are you vegans?_" this time, in English. The two shook their heads. "Then let me order,"

"Q_u'est-ce que vous prendrez? (6)"_

"_Je voudrais bisque pour trois,_" Shikamaru raised three fingers to signal that it was for the three of them. "_Coq au vin, chou fassum, _and_ crepe normande (7,_" he continued. "I'm getting mineral water. What drink do you want?"

They didn't reply.

He blinked, and again raised three fingers. "_De l'eau menerale (8),_"

The waiter nodded, noting his orders. "_Ay avek sa? (9)_"

"_C'est tout. Merci. (10)_"

And with that, the waiter left.

"You speak French?" Temari asked him.

"No, I don't." He sarcastically replied, attempting to sleep once more, only to be interrupted by a friend.

"Oi, Shikamaru!" He heard a shout from behind him. He didn't even have to turn around to see who it was. "What're you doing there, sleeping? And who're they?" He amicably grinned at the siblings and waved.

"Naruto," he scratched the back of his head. "Long story,"

"You slacker, sleeping at Hinata-chan's party!" Ino knuckled him. "Anyway, who're they?" She repeated Naruto's question.

The brunet shrugged. "I don't really know. They're Hinata's friends."

* * *

Sakura looked at the blond and redheaded teenagers on the table. They didn't look like they were Japanese, and she hasn't met them before. Shikamaru didn't even know them, but she wasn't surprised—in fact, she ought to give him credit for being so predictable.

"A-ano, Temari-san, G-Gaara-kun, these are Sakura-chan, Ino-san and Naruto-kun…" Hinata introduced. "Sakura-chan, Ino-san, N-Naruto-kun, these are Temari-san and Gaara-kun… th-they're from America."

Temari grinned. "_Uzumaki_ Naruto, eh? Should've known," she eyed him. "I've heard a great deal about you in my school."

The lad blinked and innocently pointed a finger at himself. "…Me?"

"Yeah, something about being the best baseball player in Konoha High,"

"Basketball,"

They all paused and turned to the speaker.

The younger brother eyed them back. "Best high school basketball player in Japan," he finished.

And the pause went on for some more time.

"W-whoa… I didn't know you were _that_ famous, Naruto!" Ino lightly spanked him. "This is America we're talking about!"

Two months ago, Konoha High's game against Shiwa Gakuen was the talk of the town. Naruto's "epic moment" happened then—when the last two seconds ticked yet he scored three and beat the champions. He became famous not only in the district, but all over Japan—and apparently, his name isn't new in America either.

The blond giggled as his cheeks tainted pink. "Thanks, thanks," he muttered. "I didn't, either! Man, you got me all embarrassed!" He told Gaara. "Don't flatter me too much!"

She gazed at him for some moments. There are rare moments when Naruto looked _very cute_ in her eyes—especially when he blushed. She just didn't show it so much—or, at all. He's always humble and friendly and the list goes on and on. Everyone loves him.

"You denial dork, you love the attention." Ino barked.

Sakura smiled, silently proud of Naruto. She knew he was exceptional in his sport and very intelligent, but he never really boasted about them too much—not unless he's around Sasuke Uchiha. "Then we can all watch Naruto's next game together, it's against Sound High—what do you say?" She suggested, sitting beside Shikamaru. Naruto took the seat between hers and Gaara's. Ino sat on the other side of Shikamaru, and Hinata sat between her and Temari. "Tomorrow at Suna's stadium,"

"Sounds great," Temari replied.

* * *

Sasuke limped as he walked towards the bus stop. He felt cold sweat trickle down his forehead, and his vision blurred. Why did he have to get a sprain today? Today when Naruto's game is being held in Suna?

_Just my dumb luck,_ he thought.

As if his normal painful body will stop him from watching Naruto.

Tomorrow, he'd be starting his job at the convenience store. Until his first pay, he knew he couldn't get anything special for himself, wearing the same pair of jeans and the same faded old t-shirt and jacket. He placed his right hand inside his pocket to check if the ticket was there—it was. The school gave him a complimentary seat in Konoha's game versus Sound High, primarily for being first honors in academics.

He inwardly thanked them for that.

Just when he was about to stop to rest (his ankle hurt a lot), a black limousine stopped by. He blinked and stared at it for a while. It was Hinata Hyuuga's limousine—he's ridden that before.

The window rolled down. "U-Uchiha-san," said Hinata.

He arched an eyebrow. "It's you."

"A-are you b-by any chance…" she began to flick her pointer fingers, "g-going to S-Suna stadium?"

He blinked.

"T-to watch N-Naruto-kun's game?"

He blinked once more. This girl is crazy, but she's rich. And she's probably offering him a ride. "Why?"

"W-well… i-if you want, y-you can…" she looked for words, "a-ano…"

Sasuke sighed. "A ride will be nice," he said.

She stared at him. "E-eh?"

_What the hell is wrong with her?_ He stared right back.

"N-never mind," she said, rolling the window back up before opening the door. "P-please come in,"

Amused, he entered the limousine for the second time in his life.

* * *

"You look great, Hinata-sama." Mai smiled at the heiress. "Dark blue suits you more than the black one."

Hinata blushed, looking at herself in the compact mirror that the maid had brought. She wanted to look good in Naruto's game; it rarely happened that she wanted to actually look _good, _and she did something about it. Today was one of those rare days. She wore the Konoha forehead protector as a sign of her patriotism for today's match against Sound High. They said that Sound High has one of the best players in Japan, but she wasn't worried—not when Naruto is around.

_Naruto-kun…_

"Ah, Hinata-sama, isn't that your friend?"

She blinked and ignored the mirror. Looking out the window, she saw none other than the smartest person in her batch _limping_ with his hands in his pockets. She blinked yet again. He wasn't wearing any school badge or sign.

"Y-yes, p-please stop for a while." She told the chauffer, who, at once, complied.

Hinata rolled down the window. "U-Uchiha-san,"

He raised an eyebrow. "It's you."

Remembering that she has an extra black Konoha protector with her, she began to poke her pointers. "A-are you b-by any chance g-going to S-Suna stadium?"

He didn't reply.

She hesitated. "T-to watch N-Naruto-kun's game?"

And for a while, they continued to look at each other in silence. "Why?" He finally asked.

She thought for a while, not sure if it was the right thing to sell the remaining forehead protectors to him. He didn't look interested in any sport, and he most certainly didn't look like someone who would wear something to promote the school. He just didn't. But, he's most likely headed to watch Naruto-kun's game.

"W-well… i-if you want, y-you can… a-ano…" She thought of how to put it correctly.

"A ride will be nice," he suddenly said, still wearing his poker face.

"E-eh?" She blinked and turned up to face him. He just asked for… a ride?

_What?_

'But… that's not it', she meant to say, but wasn't able to. _I just wanted to…_ They continued to absently look at each other before she snapped out of her trance. "N-never mind…" she said, opening the door. "P-please come in,"

* * *

The raven-haired lad rested his head on the backrest of the limousine. She stared at him for a while, realizing he looks… well, _hungry._

Again.

"A-Ano, w-would you l-like to eat s-something?"

He didn't reply.

Hinata turned to face her maid, asking her what she should do.

Mai sighed.

"H-he doesn't look okay." Hinata said before eyeing him once more. He was breathing heavily, but quietly. He looked trashed, but not wasted. He seemed tired, but he didn't smell at all. She bit her lip until her maid squealed.

"Oh my!"

Hinata opened her mouth, "W-what is it, Mai?"

The maid ran her hand through Sasuke's neck and forehead. "Oh no, Hinata-sama, he has a high fever!"

* * *

**French-English lessons (with Shikamaru -.-)**

_(1) Bonsoir_ – Good evening

_(2) Vous desirez commander?_ – Are you ready to take your order?

_(3) Nous n'avons pas de _Englishor Japanese._ Francois? – _We haven't got English or Japanese. What about French?

_(4) La carte, s'il vous plait._ – The menu, please.

_(5) Entendu – _Certainly

_(6) _Q_u'est-ce que vous prendrez? –_ What would you like?

_(7) Je voudrais_ – I'd like some;_ Bisque – _seafood chowder; _Por trois_ – for three;_ Coq au vin_ – French chicken dish;_ Salad antiboise_ – salad; _Crepe normande_ – Crepe with Calvados and cream

_(8) De l'eau menerale – _Mineral water

_(9) Ay avek sa?_ – Is that all?

_(10) C'est tout. Merci._ – That's all, thanks.

* * *

**Soooooooooo. Long time no update. But, like what I said, I have all the time in the world (well, kind of) because it's summer break! This story's starting to… make sense now. But not until the later chapt—I'll shut up now. And… sorry I had to make Naruto half a Gary Sue, especially in this chapter. It's… a part of the whole… yeah.**

**BY THE WAY... I'd like to ask if you guys can recommend great, awesome, amazing SasuHina fanfictions? :) I ran out of reading materials xD. And I'd really like to read another great SasuHina story **(like A Light in the Darkness by Bullwinkle's Lady :P)

**Thank you for reading and please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**

* * *

**

**_Bruised; _**_05_

_

* * *

_

Light.

Light benevolently entered his sight, slowly forming images before his eyes. He looked around but saw nothing he could name and he couldn't feel his body at all. For a moment he thought that he had collapsed from being beaten by his father, but the soft touch that he felt somewhere above his eyes said the otherwise. And just when the light couldn't get any brighter…

…he woke up.

"U-Uchiha-san,"

He blinked, seeing things but not really recognizing what he saw. He couldn't think. He couldn't talk.

It felt good. It felt great. There were no restrictions, no one who forced him to do anything, no expectations… it felt as if he was being cared for.

Absently, he wished it would stay like that, like _this_, for a little longer.

* * *

She watched him a little longer, not sure whether she should approach him or not. She wasn't sure if she should worry that he woke up, either. He was just… staring at mid-air.

"U-uhm, a-ano," she placed her right fist over her chest and bit her lip. "U-Uchiha-san…" she called him once more. The medicine that she gave him should start taking its effect now, if not completely healing her classmate's fever.

Hinata continued to watch him, until his eyes widened. He then immediately eyed her questioningly. He didn't even have to ask—she knew immediately what he meant.

"Th-the game b-began around thirty m-minutes ago…" she replied.

A little over an hour ago, Sasuke fainted inside the limousine of high fever. He subconsciously refused to be taken to the hospital, but Hinata refused to leave him sick or to bring him to Suna with high fever. Mai gave him a tablet that would ease the sickness in an hour and left them in a hotel room wherein Sasuke was able to rest.

_"M-Mai, please," she got her bag and searched for a white box inside. Keeping the box within her hands, she handed it over to her maid. "Please s-send N-Naruto-kun m-my regards."_

_"…Hinata-sama?"_

_She gulped. "P-please. I w-will follow as soon as I c-can."_

Only now did she realize one thing: how.

"H-how are you feeling?" She asked.

"We should go." He said as he got up. For some moments, they just stood idly, awkwardly. Hinata bit her lip and turned her head towards the floor, as if she was hiding something. Sasuke arched his eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

She mumbled. "A-ano… m-my… ah…"

"Do you always have to stutter?"

Her head shot up, dumbfounded. "A-ano…"

He sighed before standing up. "I'll take the bus." He told her, picking up his jacket from the table. Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Sasuke walked towards the door, and just before he was about to open it, he turned around. "Do you have a ride?"

She shook her head. "Th-they went ahead…"

They stared at each other for a while, air as thin as ever. She had no idea what to say, what to tell him, until he spoke up and broke the silence that loomed around between them. "You have to pay me back tomorrow."

* * *

"We're damn late," he muttered under his breath the moment he stepped out of the bus. Shaking his head, he absently started to run, nearly forgetting about his companion and ignoring the pain that he still felt on his back. The city was quiet, barely no traffic at all, perhaps because of the game going on inside the stadium. He stopped once he reached the entrance.

Sasuke and Hinata entered the front door, welcomed by a counter and a receptionist who smiled warmly at them. When they presented their tickets, the lady frowned and explained that the stadium is extremely full and that their seats were given to those who were in the waiting list.

"I'm sorry, but you are no longer allowed to go inside." She apologized. "The game is on live broadcast in Channel M right now."

Defeated, they both turned their backs on the receptionist, halting for a while. She bit her lip and sighed. She felt no regret over what she did, however the thought that she wouldn't be able to watch Naruto-kun's game live is disheartening. She absently grasped the Konoha forehead protector that she wore proudly.

_Naruto-kun will win for sure._

She looked at Sasuke. His expression is still as solid as ever, as if he never cared. But he did. She felt that he did. He even went out despite a high fever just to watch the game, lent her money and brought her with him in a crowded bus ride—when he knew that she's a Hyuuga.

_If only…_

Her face fell subconsciously.

_…I can do something._

"Let's go,"

Hinata looked up at her companion. His eyes focused on the street across outside. He still looked weak, but not at all hungry, unlike what she was used to whenever she saw him. She blinked—there was _something _in his eyes. Anger? No. Guilt? Regret?

The moment Sasuke began to walk, she grabbed his arm. He faced her.

"I h-have an idea."

* * *

Footsteps echoed the small staircase room, filling the air with metal clangs. Hinata shot her head up—just two more floors to go. They both ran as fast as they can, and once they reached the top, they found a door which had a sign that read: "FOR PERSONNEL ONLY".

Her father is one of the co-owners of the stadium, and even though she has never done something like this before, she bravely opened the door. Cheers, wails and cries immediately welcomed them. Hinata walked carefully on the narrow metal bridge and peeked downwards.

The score is 54-65, and only two minutes remain in the second half.

"W-we're winning," she acknowledged, relieved.

"What is this?" Sasuke asked.

She faced him. "S-spotlights," she replied. The small metal bridge that hovered across the stadium is where the spotlights are connected. On rare occasions, people are seen there—when repair has to be done. She had never _ever_ been there up until today, and the possible wrath of her father when he finds out is completely out of the question.

She didn't care. They both immediately faced downwards, Hinata absently smiling when she found the blond guarding one of the opposing team's member, not letting him move nor get the ball anywhere. When he attempted to escape Naruto's guard, the blond fell on his back. Hinata nearly jumped in worry, but when the referee announced an offensive foul, Naruto immediately stood up and waved his arms in the air jollily. He was in for two free-throws.

She looked around the audience, instantly spotting Ino, who cheered loudly, beside Shikamaru, who watched the game quietly but intently. Chouji sat beside him, munching on potato chips. She giggled. Two months ago, in Naruto's game, Chouji _dropped_ his food in nervousness. The sight of him feeling so complacent made Hinata more than relieved—their victory is embedded on stone.

Not far away were the Lent siblings, Gaara and Temari.

Half of the stadium rose of from their seats and began cheering louder. Hinata caught a glimpse of Ino directing the crowd on what to say.

Then her attention shifted back to the court when Naruto's second free-throw bounced on the ring. One of his teammates caught the rebound and dunked.

_3_

_2_

_1_

_—0._

The cheers couldn't get any louder, the same way Hinata's smile couldn't get any wider. Her eyes followed the blond. He was running all over the court and throwing his arms in the air while shouting something that looked like 'we won!'

"We won…" she said so softly, not even she herself heard. She then turned to her raven-haired companion, for a reason she didn't really know.

_His eyes,_ she thought, quickly noticing. For the first time, they were so alive. She saw excitement, joy, pride and something, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. He wasn't the mysterious and frail-looking genius she had always known. Today, he looked like a child receiving a shiny toy train for his birthday—innocent and… _happy._

It was all quickly blinked off.

"Hn," she heard him groan despite the shouts below. He turned around and walked towards the door.

Hinata looked down.

And then, with a bit of a heartache, she followed him downstairs.

* * *

Sakura watched as Naruto ran around the stadium, a grin plastered on his face. The crowd threw confetti, raised the Konoha badge and seals and waved the school's flag the moment they were declared winners.

Out of 68 points, the blond scored 29. She kept count.

But that's not what she loved about him most. Not his intelligence. Not his humility. Not his fame. Not his charm. Not his humor. Not his strength. Not even his stupidity.

A pair of blue eyes met her green ones. Uzumaki Naruto smiled and waved at her. "SAKURA-CHAAAN!" He shouted her name.

Her lips faded into a smirk.

He always, _always_ sees her—no matter what it was, who he's fighting with. She is… _special_ to him. And she felt that all the time.

"WE WON!" He yelled, running towards her. "WE WON! WE WON!"

"Of course, you idiot, I'm not blind!" She crossed her arms, trying to hide her joy. She rolled her eyes at his innocence. It was as if he _never_ won in his entire life. He stood before her, smile never leaving his face.

"The cheer was awesome! How can you do those stunts?! I don't get it!" He snickered, scratching the back of his head. "But you were the best one there!"

Konoha also won in the cheerleading competition—one which she took part in.

"Neh, Sakura-chan," he continued, "that was for you!"

And for the first time, she couldn't keep what she felt any longer. Instinctively, she threw her arms around the blond, not minding his fans—or hers—who were looking at them in amusement, amazement or jealousy.

_That was for you, too, Naruto._

* * *

"The game, the game…" Ino mumbled.

Hinata took a seat. "E-everyone's t-talking about it."

"Of course not!" The blonde said. "Everyone knew we'd win, Hinata. They're talking about what happened _after _the game." It took some time before Hinata realized what she was talking about. "Weirdly though, Sakura said that they're just friends."

She shot her head up. _Just friends?_

"I don't get those two at all. They're so weird." She complained, fixing her papers. "They've known each other since forever and they're all like… awkward when it comes to those things. Why can't they just go for it? You know what I'm saying? It's quite obvious anyway."

Hinata placed her pencil case under her desk before closing it. She bit her lip and crumpled her skirt for a while before facing Ino once more. "I-Ino-chan…" she began. The blonde arched an eyebrow. "W-where… where is Sh-Shikam—"

"I don't care." She rolled her eyes.

She watched her friend for a while. The anger in her eyes was then replaced by some sort of sadness.

"I shouldn't get mad, right, Hinata?" Ino began. "I'm just overreacting."

"W-what happened?"

"Nothing." She said. "Nothing happened."

The class bell rang. Hinata was worried that Ino and Shikamaru were in a fight. She was silent throughout the teacher's discussion about the class field trip. But then Shikamaru came in class ten minutes after the teacher did, and after getting scolded, he took a seat beside the blonde. Ino didn't seem to mind at all, her anger seemingly drifted away from the teacher's reprimands. After the class, they left together.

"Bye Hinata! Thanks for today!" Ino waved before slapping the brunet on the back as they walked down the hallway.

* * *

"Hinata-sama, I am sorry!"

She looked at her maid in confusion. _Sorry?_

"I was not able to give this to Uzumaki-san." She confessed, giving the box to Hinata. "There were a lot of people around him yesterday. It was impossible to get near him. I am sorry for telling you only now."

"O-oh, i-it's okay, M-Mai…" she said, feeling a pinch in her heart. She was sure Mai did her best, therefore there was no reason to be sad…

…_but…_

"A-ah! Hinata-sama,"

_…it's…_

"Your friend," Mai pointed at the convenience store.

_…Sasuke?_

"Shall we stop?"

Hinata ignored her maid, eyeing her friend instead. He wore some uniform and a cap and stood behind the counter. She arched an eyebrow, but understood once a customer came up to him and gave him some money. He turned and gave the man a box of cigarettes and typed something on the dot matrix. He… worked there.

Their topnotcher is a cashier in a convenience store.

_Maybe that's why…!_

* * *

**:P Sorry for the short chapter. And the late update. I suddenly lost inspiration the last time… but your reviews really help xD It's not even a joke.**

**Thank you for reading and please do review. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**_

* * *

_**

**_Bruised; _**_06_

**

* * *

**

_Maybe that's why…_

"Hm," the old man briefly raised an eyebrow, moving his pucked lips as he silently counted the bills in his hands.

Uncomfortable, Hinata looked around, rubbing her left arm with her right hand. A couple of hours ago, she saw Sasuke Uchiha working in this very convenience store as a cashier. One thing immediately came up to her mind: the class field trip. The one he wouldn't attend. Nobody really knew why he wasn't coming, but now, she thinks she does.

The man's eyes diverted to her.

She gulped, quickly looking back at him before blinking his gaze off.

He cleared his throat. "To set it straight… you're paying me to pay him…" he started to recount the money, "…so he can be absent for three days?"

"No!" She looked up at him. The man raised his eyebrows. She looked down. "Y-yes,"

She didn't like the man. His eyes were full of lust with money. But being born as a Hyuuga, she has practically lived with those kinds of people. Today is the first time she has ever done this kind of thing. After a few hours since dinner, Hinata had asked her driver to accompany her in the store to do some negotiations. Sasuke had left a couple of minutes ago. She did not see him.

"I-it's f-for academic p-purposes." She immediately backed.

It would be a complete shame for their top student to miss such an event because he thinks it would cost him his part-time job. She knows how it feels. Her father does it all the time—leaving them behind for work. Work, work, work.

Besides, she owes him for the bus fee.

"Alright, we're good. I'll tell him tomorrow afternoon." He waved his hand to dismiss her.

"A-ano,"

The man raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"P-please don't t-tell him."

* * *

Walking through the dark slum streets, Sasuke clutched his backpack. Lights were all turned off, and most of the people in the area are asleep, if not doing dirty work. Yesterday, his day was rather peaceful. His father was caught in a slumber. In fact he hasn't seen his father awake since yesterday morning.

Absently, he hoped that it would be the same for today—and the other days to come.

"Sasuke-san," called a familiar voice.

He stopped walking and faced Lee. "What is it?"

The moment his wide-eyed acquaintance swallowed hard, he knew it wasn't going to be good news. "H-he's drunk, Sasuke-san." Lee said. "_Very_ drunk."

He wasn't even able to sense it, but he was staring in mid-air, frozen. The expression on his face didn't change a bit—no fear, no anger, no nothing.

"My dad said—"

"Don't call anyone." Sasuke sternly said, clenching his fists. "Don't."

"B-but—"

"I'm warning you, Lee." His shot the other boy a glare.

True, he was nearly used to being beaten up by his father, and it wasn't new knowledge to anyone in the slums either. In fact, he wasn't the only battered person there. It would kill him if his scholarship in Konoha High will be affected—and for sure it will be. The agency for peoples' welfare is situated nearly twenty miles away from his place. It will _definitely_ be affected.

And one thing that he wouldn't admit: his fright of being pitied.

"I understand… but if you need a place to stay in…" Lee offered, "…you can stay here tonight."

He merely nodded before going ahead, keeping his eyes glued on the patched walls of his house. His back still hurt from the past beating, but not as much as it had used to. Blinking, he barely caught himself standing in front of the door. He slowly heaved a sigh before pushing it open. The lights were out, and it was quiet.

_He's not asleep._

"Where'd ya…" said a raspy voice, "…come from— "

Sasuke flicked their yellow bulb to life. His father did not know about his job, and he had no intention of telling him at all. "School—"

"—bitch." Fugaku rose to his feet, swaying, as he carried a beer bottle in his hand. It was empty. "Why don'cha… get a job so… I can—" the man scratched the back of his head, as if looking for the right words to say. "Uh… you are such a pain."

"…"

"Useless idiotic brat!" He launched the beer bottle at his son, the latter narrowly missing him, hitting the floor instead. It shattered to a million pieces. "I thought you study in tha… that rich school—" he grabbed Sasuke by the collar, lifting him from the ground.

Sasuke inhaled and exhaled, blankly eyeing his father, smelling his beer breath.

"You…" Fugaku's eyebrows met. "…You look just like your fucking mother."

He crashed on the ground, fists meeting the shattered beer bottle and head bumping ridiculously hard.

But it didin't hurt.

Not compared to what happened after.

* * *

"Good morning, Hinata-chan."

The white-eyed girl turned to her right, slightly pulling her locker door in, to find her blonde friend. "G-good morning, Ino-san," she greeted back.

"I like your bag—Kate Spade." She eyed the purple shoulder bag that rested inside Hinata's locker. "Where'd you get it?"

She blinked. She asked Mai the exact question this morning, when her maid was handing it over to her. Hinata does not dress herself—if she does, she would end up in a baggy jacket and baggy jeans, which is why her aunts gave her Mai.

Her maid said that it came from Gaara, or Maverick Lent as she previously knew him.

"I-it's a gift."

"Wow," the blonde's eyes glittered. "Whoever gave that to you _really_ likes you, Hinata-chan. I'm jealous."

She turned from her to hide her blush, quickly shoveling her books into her arms before placing the bag on her shoulder. Ino walked with her, mostly talking about what she was wearing, and then dragging her into the bathroom the moment the bell rang.

"W-wait, I-Ino-san it's time!"

"It's okay! This'd be quick." She locked the door behind them and ran in front of the mirror. "I haven't eaten in two full days!" She shoved her hand into her pocket and took out a bar of chocolate. "My mom found this… low-fat chocolate in the grocery yesterday." She then looked at Hinata. "I adore chocolates. I haven't eaten one since last month so I couldn't help but—" she took another bite "—get five of them. God, it's so good." She rolled her eyes heavenwards, taking another bite. "Besides I have… I have gym class today, I'll just burn it off, right?"

Hinata stared at her friend, biting her lower lip.

"I was just… I was just really, _really_ hungry!"

She blinked, not exactly knowing what to say. Ino looked like she was ready to devour an entire platter of food.

Ino threw the wrapper away and washed her face, looking back at the mirror. "I'm so fat."

"You're not!" The words just came out of her mouth. The blonde eyed her, lips curled into a frown. Hinata clutched her bag. "Y-you look great, Ino-san… d-don't starve yourself."

"Yeah? Well, you're the only one who says that, Hinata-chan. I honestly have no idea what you're seeing."

Before Hinata could say anything else, Ino grabbed her bag from the floor and walked towards the door, tagging the white-eyed girl.

"Thanks for everything, Hinata-chan." She smiled. "But I'm sorry that we're running late." She looked at her watch. "Iruka-sensei will kill us! Let's go!"

* * *

Sasuke held the backrest of the chair to support himself as he stood up. His right knee feels numb from last night, and his left fist was covered with cloth. Silently, he let all the other students pass before he took a seat himself. He looked around—the teacher wasn't around yet. All but three of his classmates are there.

"Sakura-chan! Is this seat taken?"

On reflex, his head immediately turned to the blond speaker.

"Yes."

Naruto glided to her other side. "What about this one?"

"Yes."

The blond frowned.

"Baka," Sasuke shook his head and sighed.

This didn't go unheard by the blue-eyed teenager. "Sasuke-teme!" He marched toward the raven, a vein popping in his head. "What did you just call me?!"

He turned to Naruto. "Ba-ka,"

"You teme!"

"Alright, that's it, children, children," Iruka Umino clapped his hands as he entered the room. "That's enough, you two." He sighed. "Sasuke, Naruto, you're the highest ranking students in the school, don't be so childish now."

"He started it!" Naruto pouted, dropping his books on the desk beside Sasuke's and taking a seat there.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted.

"Sasuke," Iruka called. The raven faced him. "Have you changed your mind about the field trip?"

He shook his head.

"Boo," Naruto huffed. "Missing the class trip is a stupid decision indeed." He said.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're only second place."

"What the—you teme!"

"Who are missing?" The teacher touched his chin as he examined the room, clicking his tongue. "Shikamaru _again_?" He sighed. "Is he hanging out with Kakashi nowadays?" He whispered to himself. "Ino, Chouji, where is Shikamaru?" He scanned the room for Shikamaru's close friends.

"Ino's not here either, Iruka-sensei." Chouji replied.

Iruka lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Those two… so who else is missing?"

"Hinata-chan isn't here either."

"WHAT?!" Naruto exploded in his seat. "Hinata-chan?! That's impossible!"

"Stop being so noisy, baka." Sasuke rolled his eyes before looking around. It's true—Hinata Hyuuga isn't there.

Dismayed, Iruka gave a last sigh. "_Very_ strange," he noted before taking his seat.

Ino and Hinata came a minute after that. Ino took a seat beside Sakura, and when Hinata was going to take the other one, Ino immediately dragged her to the empty chair beside her. Shikamaru came five minutes after that.

* * *

"Where did you come from?" were Iruka's first words the moment he entered the classroom.

He halted halfway through the door. "Overslept," he simply said.

The teacher frowned. "Do you oversleep before every subject, Shikamaru-san?" He asked.

Shikamaru simply sighed, looking around. There was one empty seat left—the one beside Sakura. He blinked, secretly expecting that Naruto would take that chair. He looked at Ino, but she wasn't looking at him at all.

_Troublesome,_ he thought. "Well… can I go in?"

"I'm sorry, Nara-san, but you would have to get a tardy slip this time."

He sighed, taking two steps back and closing the door. He leaned on the wall, shoving his pocket. _Pen, pen, pen, pen—paper,_ he sighed as he took the tardy slip. He had prepared an entire set of tardy slips before the school began. It was troublesome to go to the other side of the building to get one and delay himself more to class.

He had also written his name and excuse on almost all of the slips. A good quarter of it had another name—it was good to be prepared. All that was left to write was the date—which he did.

After he counted to ten, he turned the doorknob and walked inside again. The class was silent—they didn't do anything while waiting for him at all, he figured. Except maybe Naruto and Sasuke, who, for some bizarre reason, are seated next to each other on a day that's supposedly not the end of the world yet.

The brunet handed his tardy slip to his teacher.

"Take your seat, Nara-san," he instructed. "And don't do this again."

He nodded and took the seat beside Sakura, his arm was immediately injured by Sakura's fist. He flinched. The pink-haired girl is not weak. In fact she's _very _strong. "What is it, geez?" He muttered in protest.

"Where did you go?" She asked him.

"_Shikamaru!_"

In his peripheral vision, he saw Ino's eyebrows curled. He sighed. "I overslept."

"_Right,_ as if I'd fall for that, Nara."

_"Pssst, Shikamaru! Oi! Oi! Oi!"_

He shrugged. "It's up to you if you to believe me or not,"

"I don't."

"_Oy, Shikamaru!_"

He just shrugged again, not thinking about whatever that happened in the past hour. He turned to Naruto, who had been chanting his name, with an arched eyebrow.

"Let's exchange seats!"

He quickly eyed Sakura before looking back at Naruto.

"Don't." Sakura mouthed, but never fell for the idea that they, too, were in some sort of a fight.

_Of course,_ he thought. Of course, she sat beside Ino to comfort her. Of course, if Naruto sat beside Sakura, she wouldn't be able to deal with Ino. Of course, Sakura can deal with Ino more if _he_ sat beside her. _Of course._

_Fuck, what a troublesome life._

"Nah." He turned his back on Naruto.

* * *

"It's a paid holiday." Trey said.

"Normal pay?" He had to wonder. He's had various other jobs before, but this is the first time he's been offered a paid holiday.

The older man rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes," he told him, before leaving.

Plopping back on the counter seat, Sasuke contemplated on a three-day job.

* * *

Sasuke flipped the tabloid page, looking at the wide variety of jobs that were posted. His father had been in a rather 'good' mood today, not throwing or breaking anything, or anyone.

"If you're looking for a job, then go to that club on the other side of the slum." Fugaku suddenly spoke. "I heard you earn a lot of money there. I'll sign you up myself."

Immediately, he shot his head up, looking for the words to day. _I don't want to dance,_ or, _No, I don't want to do that._ But that would most likely ruin his father's 'good' mood. "I can't." The words just left his mouth. Fugaku slowly glared at him. "I'm going out for three days." He said, "for school."

* * *

Hinata clutched a box in her hands, biting her lips as she rested her back on the wall beside the door of the basketball court. The team still isn't finish with their training inside, and she chose to wait outside.

_Naruto-kun,_

Finally, the doors open, and team members were starting to leave the court. Hinata's back left the wall, anticipating for a certain blond… a certain blond…

"If it isn't my cousin,"

Hinata froze. Slowly, she turned around to meet the same lavender orbs that she has. "N-Neji-niisan…"

"I completely forgot to commend you for your speech the other day." He said. "Short but pleasant—I'm surprised that you know your father well."

She opened her mouth to reply, but a streak of blond hair stopped her. Turning her head, she found no other than Naruto Uzumaki running towards somewhere—someone… _was that pink hair?_

"It is really rude to not look at the person you are talking to." He shook his head. "Shame,"

She quickly shot him an anxious look. "A-ah…"

"You're not ready, Hinata. You will never be."

"Wrong,"

Hinata closed her eyes shut as she heard the voice speak.

"If it isn't Sasuke Uchiha—ranked first in your batch, am I correct?"

She opened them. _Sasuke?_

Sasuke rolled his eyes subtly before eyeing Hinata for a brief moment. He then turned to Neji. "Who're you?"

The older guy chuckled. "My, my, some memory gap?" He said in between, extending his arms for Sasuke to shake. "Neji Hyuuga—first rank in the fourth year. We've met before, on awarding ceremonies, seeing as we both are consistently on top."

Ignoring the hand that he offered, Sasuke grunted. "Is that so? I really don't remember."

She absently gaped—did he just say that to Neji-niisan? She watched them for a few more seconds before Neji politely walked out of the small group. Hinata faced Sasuke. He had a triumphant smirk on his face. _Should I thank him…?_

"I don't like talking." He said straightforwardly. "But it's an eyesore when you let him shut your mouth."

She bit her lip and looked down. "Th-thank you,"

"You can't stay like that forever." He said in a straight, nearly uninterested voice. "Show him who you are." He quietly added before walking away, leaving Hinata almost dumbfounded.

* * *

**Terribly sorry for the late update. I didn't expect summer to be so... busy .___. Nevertheless, you have my word that this fic will NEVER be abandoned, given that you guys will give your feedback (reviews) ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own the non-fictional brands that will be mentioned in this chapter.**

_**Bruised; **__07_

_

* * *

_

"How long are you going to be out, Hinata-sama?" asked her maid in her ever-so gentle voice. The two of them were situated in the heiress's closet, with Hinata sitting on the soft couch in the middle while Mai neatly lined her series of travel bags before her master.

"Six d-days at most," she replied, breathing inwardly as she looked at the five bags before her—a classic Louis Vuitton, a black Bric's rolling duffle, a colorful Britto Heys USA, a golden Liz Clairborne luggage and an orange Titan trolley. She gulped, wondering how she could have identified the bags when she has not traveled in a long time. _Must be hanging out with Ino-san…_ she thought before sighing. "A-ano, Mai, is there a-any other bag?"

Mai nodded. "Yes, Hinata-sama, but your aunties specifically borrowed these five from a designer for you to choose from. Whatever you pick will be bought and used. I'm afraid they would not take it otherwise."

She bit her lip and pointed at the last one—the orange Titan trolley.

Her maid bowed before placing the bag before her and opening it. Mai walked towards the heiress's dresser and opened it, taking four of Hinata's formal dresses. It was a requisite to bring formal clothing wherever they would go. She picked one before the maid walked over to the more casual clothes, and they would do the same, until Mai reached Hinata's shoe cabinet.

That was how her life revolved. She had control over the things she could do—but those things are controlled by an upper force, may that be her father or her aunties, sometimes even Neji. She was free but not really. She had a lot of choices, but not really. In the Hyuuga household, things ran a bit more differently compared to the other upperclass families.

The Naras were very laid-back, and although Shikamaru's marriage had been arranged without his consent, he was lucky enough to have someone who he would most likely marry even without the arrangement. And although Shikamaru was very lazy, he had a voice in their family because he was the only child, and his clan respects him for who he is.

Likewise, Ino's family also gave her the amount of respect and trust that she had. Moreso, Ino had the power over everything she did. In fact, Hinata secretly admired how carefree and independent she is.

The Harunos are known to be strict, precise and creative, and Sakura has inherited all of those. She was a walking piece of art with her beauty and grace, at the same time she can do brash things without losing her poise.

Naruto's family, on the other hand… they were perfect. To Hinata, the Uzumakis are the epitome of perfection. She never saw a single flaw. When Minato and his son are together, they are like friends. Minato lets his son do the things that he wants to do, and Naruto responds with will and determination to excel and succeed.

She wished that her family was more like the others'. She wished that she was more like the others. She wished that she would meet her family's expectation—then maybe, just maybe, they would trust her.

Mai zipped Hinata's luggage and brought it to stand up. "For your hand-carry, your father and your aunties did not mention anything specifically…"

"R-really?"

"Yes, Hinata-sama." Mai smiled warmly. "You may decide on what you will bring."

* * *

"You can decide on what you will bring," Fugaku blew smoke to the raven-haired teenager, "son."

Sasuke dropped his coat and looked through the house's compartment to look for a bag that he can bring to the class trip tomorrow. _As if there's anything here,_ he thought to himself, giving up on the case and closing it before walking over outside, to their little junk storage. He moved slowly, thanks to the pain in his back. Fortunately though, it had gotten better compared to the past few days.

As he entered the little room, dust immediately rained over him, and he had to cough out the dirty, old air that had been residing there since forever. The last time he entered that place was a very long time ago—when he was hiding from his father. It probably was the last time _anyone_ entered that place.

He looked through the old things that had been piled up there. Inside their house, they had nothing but a single bed, a destroyed refrigerator, a ruined dining table with two ruined chairs, and a ruined wooden sofa. Inside _this_ storage room, Sasuke could barely see anything but those that were hit by the poor sunlight from outside the slums. His eye immediately caught a teddy bear standing peacefully on a rack.

For some reason, he walked towards it. He wasn't sure whose stuffed toy that was, but he knew it wasn't his. And he couldn't quite remember what it's for, but he… _for some reason…_

_It was like he…_

Sasuke put the toy in his hands and out of the rack to observe it, but was distracted by what stood behind it.

A luggage.

* * *

When he returned inside the house, his father was out of sight. He was thankful for that. Sasuke ran through his drawer, which barely had anything inside it, and put everything into the luggage that he found inside their old storage room. He then zipped it closed, and walked out of the house to go to Rock Lee's place.

"Wow, Sasuke-san! You're going to the Caribbean islands?" Lee exclaimed. "That is amazing! My father said that it is very beautiful there and—"

"I'll get my luggage tomorrow before I leave. Keep it here for tonight."

"—springitme of—o-oh." Rock Lee paused when he realized what Sasuke had said. He eyed his 'friend' for a while before understanding why he asked such an unlikely favor. "Of course, Sasuke-san,"

The Uchiha briefely turned around before muttering his gratitude and walking away.

* * *

"Alright kids, in less than fifteen minutes, we will land the Dubrovnik airport. If you haven't adjusted your watches, they'll read six o' five nighttime. Fix them, or your spare watches, because it is currently eleven o' five in the morning." Iruka Umino instructed his students as he stood on the aisle of NU airlines' Airbus A380 business class section, disregarding the few other tuxedo-clad passengers.

Yesterday, the Caribbean coast met a very untimely thunderstorm, and although that area was quite far from the Harunos' island, the families of his students insisted that they change their location. Haruno Aoi immediately booked the sole private accommodation in the island of Palagruza in Croatia. And that was it. No parent raised a complaint at all.

Iruka loved his job dearly—teaching was his passion—and Konoha High is indeed exemplary on its own with all the glitz and glamour, but he would not trade that lifestyle for one that he had—a simple and worthy one.

Speaking of a simple lifestyle, his eyes could not help but look for his student, Sasuke Uchiha. He scanned the plane.

_Uzumaki Naruto, of course, his father owns this plane… _

_Haruno Sakura, the host… _

_Aburame Shino…_

Sasuke was one of the scholars of Konoha High, and the only "simple" one at that, yet he was very deserving.

…_Nara Shikamaru_

_Akimichi Choji—Shikamaru isn't sitting with Ino? Something must be wrong…_

_Yamanaka Ino…_

He earned top honors ever since Iruka can remember, at the same time he was a quiet but very reliable and brave kid.

…_and Hyuuga Hinata…_

_Wait a second…_

"Children," he started to feel his nerves taking over again, his heart beating rapidly all of a sudden, "where is Sasuke-san?"

* * *

The moment he clutched the flush handle, he triggered it, sending the infested liquid counterclockwise down the plane's own rubbish system.

_Fuck the world,_ Sasuke thought, breathing heavily as he used the toilet seat to support himself up, _I can't believe I'm airsick._

_

* * *

_

"What?" Naruto stood up and scanned the floor for the raven. "But I saw him when we boarded!"

Iruka gritted his teeth—Sasuke probably wasn't used to airplanes at all! What if he got sick? What if he got lost? What if he… what if he…

"Iruka-sensei, you have to learn how to chill." Ino interrupted his train of thought. He stared at her, sitting to his right beside Hinata. "He was here when we boarded. He sat right behind me. I even offered him a drink."

From the corner of his eye, Iruka saw Shikamaru open a random magazine.

"He's somewhere in this plane. He won't get lost."

Iruka sighed, releasing his inner tension. "You're right. But we have to look for him. We're about to land. We can't go down without him."

"I-I'll go,"

* * *

Before they boarded the plane, Ino begged Hinata that she would take the window seat and that they should sit together. When they were on the plane, Ino decided that they took the seats on the same row with Shikamaru and Chouji. And although she didn't know what was going on, she was more than sure that something was wrong between them. Sitting right between them for more than four hours made her feel too uneasy, and so when she heard the opportunity…

"I-I'll go," she heard herself say.

_What?_

She was even more perplexed than Ino, but it was Iruka who was most confused. She never _ever_ stood up to anything like that.

"Pardon me, Hinata-chan?" Her teacher asked, not quite understanding what was going on.

"I'll g-go look f-for Uchiha-san…"

"Hinata-chan, you really don't have to," Hinata's heart stopped when she heard that voice. "We can go ask one of the stewards in here. Don't worry about it, they'll find that teme no matter where in this plane he's hiding!" Naruto kneeled on his seat and turned around to face the Hyuuga heiress with the brightest smile of the day.

And she couldn't move.

She was frozen. Just like that.

She watched Naruto turn to Iruka-sensei. He said something—something she couldn't hear anymore—and Iruka walked back to his seat. The blond waved his arm—her face heated up to a hundred degrees—and a steward immediately came at his service. Naruto, again, said something animatedly—he was too adorable!—and the steward immediately picked up his feet.

"Hinata-chan? Are you okay?"

"H-ha? A-ano…" she shook her head, finally gaining enough nerves to take her eyes off the blond. She saw her friends—they were all wearing smug looks!

"Are you feeling well? You're kinda… you're kinda pink."

At that, she, too, picked up her feet.

* * *

_This is so embarrassing!_ She mentally cried, cupping her face into her palms. After that encounter, Hinata ran towards the plane's bathroom and locked herself into one of them. Her face still burnt, in fact it felt a bit stingy already.

Naruto's impact on her, she couldn't even begin to think about it.

"Attention, all passengers: we will be landing Dubrovnik airport. Please sit down and fasten your seatbelts. We are about to descend. Again, to all passengers: we will be landing Dubrovnik airport. Please sit down and fasten your seatbelts. We are about to descend."

Hinata stood from where she sat after hearing the announcement and unlocked the cubicle. To her surprise, however, the moment she opened the door, the unit right in front of hers simultaneously opened as well. She paused momentarily, as well as the person in front of her.

"S-Sasuke-san!" She managed to blurt when it finally sunk to her. "Th-they were looking for y-you!"

He lifted an eyebrow.

"I-I mean, N-Naruto-kun w-was l-looking for you!"

"What?"

"I m-mean—h-he asked a—" her feet then left the ground.

* * *

The plane then began to shift directions and positions, sending both Hinata and Sasuke to a state of imbalance. Hinata took it harder, her feet leaving the floor. Sasuke, quickly adapting to the occurrence, grabbed Hinata's arm and pulled her close to him before he completely lost his grip on gravity. He cupped the back of her head with his right hand and his left arm circled around her frame. He purposely dropped on his bottom and lied on his side, the plane still continuing its landing motions. They both slid towards a wall. The Uchiha stretched his leg to the adjacent wall to prevent them from moving.

He shut his eyes, feeling his stomach turn again.

The plane finally calmed down after an eternity as it seemed to Sasuke. Hinata remained still in her position, and Sasuke felt dizzy once more, refraining himself from any movement that would most likely cause him to vomit on his rich classmate.

"Oh, dear," a voice said, "kids nowadays…"

Sasuke immediately let go of his hold on the Hyuuga, and they both stood at the same time.

"N-no, it r-really isn't w-what it s-seems!" Hinata defended.

The raven barely cared. The moment he stood up, his empty stomach began to jump. He ran back into the bathroom, where he, once again, released whatever was left in his tummy.

* * *

Hinata punched a series of buttons on the vending machine inside the Dubrovnik airport.

Sasuke took some time inside the bathroom, and when they returned to where their classmates were, the entire floor was empty. They checked the compartments—their hand-carries were not there anymore, either. A steward then approached them—the same one Naruto talked to—and instructed them to follow him out of the plane.

When they were inside the airport, she decided to skip the conveyor area for their luggage. The Uchiha was then too exhausted to even raise a voice, so she walked him into the vending machine, looked at the selection, dropped some coins (her aunties thankfully provided her with enough money in the country's currency) and picked the healthiest one.

A chicken sandwich.

"You have to eat this." She handed the food to Sasuke, who didn't even try to stand anymore, sitting on his feet. "Sasuke-san,"

He still breathed heavily, trying to look up to her. "You talk rather smoothly when you demand something."

She opened her mouth to speak—and then closed it. "A-ano… b-but, w-well…"

"Don't," The Uchiha grabbed the sandwich and opened it before taking a bite.

* * *

Sasuke's tongue felt too numb to even taste the sandwich that the Hyuuga heiress specifically picked for him. He still ate it though, knowing that he needed the energy. Their trip wasn't done, and the destination is still quite far.

"S-sorry," she bit her lip.

"For what?"

"F-for… d-demanding you, I g-guess…"

He smirked, eating the last bite and swallowing it before standing up. His back still hurt, but not as much as it did before. "Okay," he figured that it was pointless to argue. "Thank you for the food. I'll pay you back in Japan."

"N-no, y-you don't have t-to!"

"Hey! You two!"

Hinata turned around and Sasuke looked beyond her shoulder to find their classmates and Iruka-sensei walking towards them.

"You teme!" He immediately noticed the blond, who ran ahead of the rest until he reached them. "What did you do to Hinata-chan, huh? First you were lost, and then you take her with you?"

He rolled his eyes. This was the fun part. No matter what Naruto said, he had a full-proof response that will immediately make him forget of whatever he said before. "Dobe,"

And it worked again. "What the—you teme!"

"Oh my goodness, Sasuke-san! Hinata-chan! I was so worried!" Iruka-sensei cried.

Shikamaru stopped on his side and dropped a bag. "Here's your luggage." He said before turning around to walk out. Sasuke was pretty sure he complained about how troublesome it was for him to carry the bag.

"What happened to the two of you?" their teacher was still as tense as ever. "Anyway, let's talk about that later. Our ride is waiting outside."

Sasuke then silently followed the rest of his class towards their van, which waited outside the Croatian airport. They headed towards the ferry port, where they rode a first class ferry to Korcula island. The ride took more or less an hour, which allowed Sasuke to sleep inside a rather luxurious cabin. He was pretty sure that one or two of his classmates tried to wake him up for a meal, but he did not budge.

After the ferry ride, they took a yacht (apparently owned by Ino's family) for three hours, until they reached their destination: Palagruza.

Little did Sasuke know how that uninhibited island will begin to twist his life—one of the many he would encounter.

* * *

**To all readers: thank you for not giving up on me :). I told you that this story will never be abandoned. But I cannot promise that updates will be made quickly. It will depend on a) my time and; b) my mood and inspiration. Your feedback is a huge part of my inspiration! This story is starting to boil up! Please continue to support :D. I will update as soon as I can!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

The island of Palagruza was more deserted than Sasuke could have imagined. He half-expected a paradise, and the other half, hell. This one, however, screamed nothing but abandonment, way below the standards of these rich bastards' families. The moment the boat reached the port, a towering mass of rocks stood before them, around twenty meters away from the shore. There was rarely a sign of life.

"We're here!" Iruka said out loud. "Now I know it doesn't look promising as of the moment but trust me, this is a perfectly natural state in this part of the world."

"You have a house here, Sakura?" Ino asked as she jumped onto the elevated land from the boat.

"No, I don't." She replied with an annoyed face. "My parents booked this island."

"Where do you suppose then are we going to stay?"

"Maybe that lighthouse over there…" Chouji pointed at the, indeed, lighthouse that was situated on top of the massive rock. Sasuke gritted his teeth. If they were going to hike, he didn't know if his back could take such a steep climb.

Strong waves hit the stone walls below where they were standing. He heard Nara mutter a complaint as his pants got caught by the impact, while Sakura moved to a farther point because her luggage got wet. The most unfortunate one, though, was Hyuuga Hinata, who was crossing the boat to the land when the waves hit. Her feet didn't catch the border and she descended straight into the sea.

"Hinata-chan!" Iruka was the first to her rescue, followed by the loads of bodyguard that came with them and the rest of his classmates. "Are you alright?"

"H-hai!" She stuttered. He watched them as they pulled her onto the land.

Sighing silently, he faced the Mediterranean. High tide was apparent, and the elevated piece of land that they were standing on was not the shore for sure. He could tell. But as the sun went down the seemingly endless sea, he can slightly sense the feeling of home. There was no father sitting somewhere, sleeping or waiting somewhere to hurt him. He wouldn't have new bruises anytime soon.

* * *

Hinata stared at her bedroom's ceiling as she clutched the jacket that was wrapped around her. The day became rather uneventful after her unfortunate fall a while ago.

Actually, it wasn't _that_ unfortunate.

After she got pulled onto the land, everyone immediately surrounded her in concern. Iruka looked most worried, and although she constantly reassured them that she was feeling well, her stuttering proved otherwise.

And then, Naruto-kun was beside her. Naturally, her systems halted. She couldn't talk. She couldn't move. She could barely even breathe that time. The next thing she knew, his bring orange jacket was wrapped around her.

She bit her lip, feeling the heat on her face. Good thing it was nighttime, and that the rest of the girls were already asleep.

When she felt a drop of sweat trickle down her face, stood up from her bed. The heiress walked out into the terrace to catch some cold air. She closed the door silently behind her and leaned onto the rails, listening to the serene waves. Much to her disappointment, however, there was no cold air. At least, not at where she stood.

_Maybe I can…_

* * *

She didn't even know what she was doing, but the moment she left the rest house, she didn't stop walking. The island was breathtaking—way more beautiful than it looked like when the sun was up. Small lamps were placed above rocks and kept most of the place illuminated. The dim lighting served an aesthetic purpose more than any other, and she was able to pass the guards undetected.

The best part of that night was the sky. Having lived her whole life in Japan, she wasn't used to any other piece of sky aside from such. The quarter moon wasn't big, but there was a star above it as it lied down the black sky. She knew that the world was supposed to be going around and it was basically the same thing, but for some reason, it seemed rather foreign.

And when her feet felt cold, she stopped walking.

She reached the shore. It was already low tide, and she was _on _the shore. Hinata looked at her feet, realizing that the cold was brought by the waves penetrating into her socks. She walked a few steps behind, where the sand was dry, and sat down to take off her socks and wear just her slippers, until she realized something.

Looking far to her left, beyond the big rock that bent to the next chapter of the island where she came from, the dim lights were not just _dim._ They were gone.

* * *

How the rest of his classmates did it was a mystery.

Sleeping inside that room was, to Sasuke, downright impossible. He knew he was the first to doze off (or Shikamaru, but that guy was always asleep that it didn't even count anymore), but the first verse of snore immediately woke him up. He tried to go back to sleep, but he couldn't, especially since a few more joined and formed a _wonderful_ chorus of snores.

Maybe that's why they were able to sleep amidst the noise. But eitherway, he didn't get it. These kids were pampered to death. They didn't have to do a single thing to work. How could they get tired? It made no sense.

Frustrated, he walked out of the bedroom, out of the house, and into the beach, looking for some sort of furniture that he can sit, better yet _sleep_, on, like a chair or a recliner or a hammock. He wasn't actually choosy. In fact he could sleep on the sand.

But he found something better than anything he thought of.

* * *

She knew she could go back. It wasn't _that_ dark. The moon had enough light to guide her back to the rest house. But something didn't let her. Something kept her there.

_Solitude._

It's been a while since she was left alone. _Alone._ There was no one who told her what to do, nobody watching her every move for protection. She didn't have to worry about anything bad that she might accidentally do to ruin her family's name. She didn't even have to think about the pressure that is being put on her by her family. No maids that follow her around and remind her of what to do and what whoever tells her to do.

She was free.

The last time she was close to feeling that way was a couple of years ago, when her mother died. Fragmented memories rush to her mind, remembering the silence of the walk from the funeral home to the cemetery. The normally meticulous look on her father's face was gone, and she was far too young to read it. Sadness, perhaps? Guilt?

Of course, the atmosphere during those times was entirely different. True, there was no one that told her what to do, nobody vacant enough to attend to her and watch over her, but it still felt heavy. And deep inside her, though at a very young age, she knew that she was compelled to behave the way that society would like to see her behave.

Right now, though, there was nobody watching. For once, she actually _owned_ her time.

She breathed out, and a smile slowly formed on her lips.

However, it didn't take long before it disappeared.

* * *

Sasuke rowed the canoe one more time before placing the paddle beside him. When he got what he thought was the perfect view of the moon, he rested his arms on the wood behind him and leaned back, watching the sky.

He sighed heavily, letting go of the previous frustration. This was a way better place than the room he was in. _Finally. Peace. Quie—_

"Sasuke-san!"

He sat up. The call was fast—the speaker tried to keep her voice down as much as she could, almost like a muttered shout. He turned, facing the shore, and there he found a girl standing.

"What are you doing there?" They both asked each other at the same time.

* * *

"I-interesting sky, d-don't you think?" She managed to speak to him after a few minutes of being on the boat. He continued paddling slowly. Thankfully, the waves were tame and the tide was low. It had been a while since she was on a canoe. "F-from this view th-the moon looks l-like the flag of T-Turkey…"

"Hn," he grunted before taking the paddle inside the boat.

She didn't know what it was that compelled her to speak to him. "Th-thank you by the w-way… for the things y-you said the other d-day. They r-really helped m-me—"

"Why do you still have that jacket on? You haven't taken it off since that dobe gave it to you. It's disgusting. An eyesore, even."

"W-what?" She immediately turned red, thankful for both the dark and for him facing front and not towards her.

"Never mind, I know."

She opened her mouth, but only a small cracked sound came out.

He faced her over his shoulder. "Don't you think it's obvious? Your little blushes and paralytic attacks. It means I know you're in love with Naruto."

She couldn't stop gaping. It was the first time somebody told her flat out that they noticed her feelings for him—quite frankly, too. She continued to watch him eye her sharply for a few more seconds before he turned back around, grabbing the paddle once more and aimlessly rowing the boat.

But that wasn't the dominant feeling. When she regained her composure, she sighed.

_Now she understood._

"W-would you have t-taken it off," she started, "i-if he g-gave it to y-you?"

* * *

He froze. Legitimately. The piece of wood he grasped is now harassed by his hold, and after a while he realized that he wasn't breathing.

"What."

"I m-mean you w-would have done th-the same."

It barely even registered to him. What was this bitch saying? He was, for the first time, at a loss for words, and not simply keeping quiet. His fingers were slowly starting to feel numb, and his ears cold. His mind wasn't working very well, either.

"What do you know, Hyuuga." His voice was murderous and cold.

* * *

She blinked, finding the right words to say.

"I-I d-don't b-but when N-Naruto-kun si there y-you're…. alive, S-Sasuke-san." She said. "C-considering your r-reaction a while ago… plus how y-you are i-in school… y-you're a-always quiet, e-except when h-he's around. W-when we went t-to the game… I s-saw th-the way you w-watched him—"

"Shut up," he was finally able to move, his shoulders less tense. "Or I'll turn this boat around."

For some reason, she smiled at his retort. "I c-can swim."

* * *

He had no words for whatever was happening at that moment, except that he knew for sure that he has underestimated Hyuuga Hinata. To be able to relay out what he had been constantly denying the past years, those things that he couldn't quite explain…

_Crazy. She is crazy._

He wanted to drown her. He wanted to strangle her and yonk her brain out of her cranium to take away every piece of insight that she had regarding him and his life. He wanted her to stop talking, but he couldn't stop listening. There was no use in denying it any further. He had not thought that deeply of it himself, but he knew that the feeling was _there_ and it had been there for a long time.

He did not want to drown her. He wanted to drown his feelings.

A shiver ran down his spine. _This cannot be happening._

There was nothing left to say.

* * *

The boat landed the shore after staying on water for about thirty minutes. It wasn't close to sunrise yet, but it wouldn't be long until it was.

Sasuke was the first one who stood out of the boat. "Whatever you said," he uttered, his back facing her and his hands in his pockets, "whatever you know or think will only be between the two of us." He turned to her. "Do you understand that, Hyuuga?"

She nodded. "H-hai,"

She watched him as he walked away, already composed and back to his old, cold self. It occurred to her only a few hours later what just happened.

She actually _bonded_ with Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

**Hey guys! I'm sorry it took f o r e v e r for this update! The past year was crazy and I'd like to rant everything that happened here, but it'll take another forever for me to finish doing so :)). So yes, I was reading your reviews and someone suggested me getting a beta, and you know what, that's a great idea! I do need a beta! So if you guys know anyone who's willing (or if you're willing), please do tell me :D. It'd be of help for the story!**

**Thank you for reading and please do review :).**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

He could almost smell it—the wretch of the rabies that dripped along with the saliva of the large canines' mouths. There was thunder, but no rain that dark night, and the only sounds he heard were the barking of the animals, a loud cry of a woman and a roaring scream of a man.

* * *

"…the fuck is wrong with you breathing so hard in your sleep you…"

Sasuke jerked up the moment he heard the sound of glass breaking on the floor. His father rose from the bed, the voice of the man in his nightmare still ringing in his head.

His father continued to throw hard and dirty accusations at him, but all he could do was freeze—his body wouldn't move.

"Fugaku-kun," a lady's voice moaned just as he was about to charge at his son. "Come back, I already miss you…"

It all came to a blur for Sasuke. He didn't notice how tightly he clutched his mattress, poking holes at them with his fingers, or how hard his heart was thumping against his ribcage.

* * *

Adjusting to life back in Konoha was fair, so to say. Aside from the jetlag that it caused, the pace of the students' lives were more or less the same. After the preliminary reporting on Asuma's Lost Cases, the class started to gather up tactics individually for the final reporting, which is in less than a month.

In fact, with all the work that they did in Palagruza, most of them were halfway done, except for one.

And to her surprise, he stood right in front of her.

It was a shock to her, of course, that he even dared to look at her. After what happened in Palagruza…

_It was a complex mechanical physics activity, and Kakashi gave them the option to work in pairs. She immediately glanced at Naruto, hoping that he meets her eyes and maybe… maybe they can spend some time together, even if it were for a complex mechanical physics activity._

_And there he was, his blond hair radiating so beautifully under the warm sun. He was fixing something from inside his bag, and when his face shot up, he ran towards another direction. The next thing she knew, she wasn't looking at Naruto anymore, but at Uchiha Sasuke, who was apparently seated a few feet away from Naruto._

_They both lost Naruto to Sakura._

_And then they reached an understanding._

_"Second place goes to…" Kakashi said in his most enthusiastic voice (which wasn't at all enthusiastic), "Sasuke-kun and Hinata-chan!"_

_This time, they lost to Naruto and Sakura._

_So, the next project, where once again Kakashi gave them the option to work in pairs, he took no chances._

_"Fourth place goes to… Hinata-chan!"_

She shamefully shook off the memory and faced the raven in front of her. "Y-yes, Uchiha-san?" she asked him politely.

I took him a while before he replied. "I changed my report entirely."

She sighed silently, having heard the news. "W-wow…" was all she could really say. Changing the topic at that point was very… well, inconvenient. She looked back up as he was still standing before her.

"If I could get a few words from you,"

_Why doesn't he just ask directly…?_

"It's about the death of your mother."

* * *

The library couldn't possibly get any more silent. He sat across from her, watching her with his onyx eyes. She gathered any possible sort of statement for him, but found none.

"A-actually I… wasn't very close with m-my mother." She said honestly. There really was nothing that she could remember.

He nodded. "I thought so."

She bit her lip, not knowing what exactly it was that he wanted from her, now that she was as good as a nuisance to his study. He didn't look like he was anywhere near satisfied. "M-maybe if y-you… t-tell me w-what you have I can…"

"A lot," he shrugged.

That took her aback. _How cocky…_

Thankfully, the bell rang, signaling lunch time. Sasuke remained his composure, gathering the sources that he had quickly but quietly. She thought she heard him grunt, but it was probably just her imagination. Before he could walk away any farther, she spoke up. "Ano, U-Uchiha-san,"

He halted and slightly turned his head to his shoulders, not entirely facing her.

"D-do you want t-to continue th-the," _what am I saying?_ "s-study at my h-house later?"

He blinked. "Can't," he replied, before leaving.

* * *

She passed by the ladies' wash area before going to the cafeteria to eat her lunch. Thankfully, she wasn't feeling any kind of remorse or embarrassment with the spontaneous stunt that she just made, even if it resulted with her rejection. She expected herself to be at least ashamed, but there was nothing she could find inside her that she wanted to get rid of.

She looked at herself in the mirror, and before she knew it, one of the cubicles opened and her blonde friend came out, wiping the bottom of her mouth. "Ah," she turned from their reflections to face her friend. "Ino-chan! A-are you okay?"

Ino merely giggled. "Why so alarmed, Hinata-chan?" She clutched her pink bag towards herself. "Look, Hina-chan, I got a new Hermes bag. Just this morning, actually. That's why I was late," she giggled yet again.

Hinata frowned. Ever since they returned from Palargruza, Ino became thinner and paler, and have been doing more impulsive things. "Ino-chan…"

Her friend sighed. "We should go shopping together. Sakura, too," she said as she stared at her own reflection. "There were really nice bags and jewelry available today."

Feeling helpless, all she could do was nod.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Hinata-sama," greeted the butler as he opened the door to her car. "Your sister used the limousine today."

She didn't even notice. "G-good afternoon," she greeted him back before entering. When she sat down, she immediately saw the box of Danish biscuits on the car seat. She eyed it skeptically.

"It's from Gaara-sama," Mai filled her in from the front seat. Hinata nodded in understanding. "Are you hungry, Hinata-sama? Is there anything you would like before we head home?"

"N-nothing let's—" her sentence was cut upon noticing Uchiha Sasuke cross the street.

"Ah, it's your friend, Hinata-sama!" her driver exclaimed.

She found herself smiling. "Y-yeah,"

* * *

"Looking good, like always, Sasuke-kun," said the cashier that took the shift before his. She gave him an obnoxious wink as she took off her cap and put it over his head. "Do you want any help today?"

He scowled, fixing the cap and taking his place behind the counter. "No," he didn't take any chances.

"So cold…" she pouted. "But that's what I like about you," she leaned into him, standing properly only when she heard the doors open. "Welcome!"

"Th-thank you,"

Sasuke immediately turned to the girl standing by the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"My, my, you know each other?" the annoying girl sounded rejected. "So you're really cold to everyone you know. I knew it. I still have my chance."

He glared at her. "Get lost,"

She winked at him yet again. "See you tomorrow," before walking past Hinata and leaving the store for good.

Sasuke faced his white-eyed classmate again. She was still standing beside the door, hands together and head slightly bent. _Why the hell does she always look like that?_ "What do you want?"

"I-I'm here t-to buy…"

"Help yourself,"

It was going to start again, for sure. The last time he worked was in a restaurant, also relatively close to Konoha high and his district. After the first Konoha High student found out that he was there very night, the restaurant was always full of high school students making reservations, and some of them even went as far as applying for a job.

He had to quit, or he would have been fired.

He chose this convenience store because he was sure that none of those rich bastards would drop by to try and stalk him again, but there was Hyuuga Hinata, frantically stalking the biscuit isle for God knows what. _She probably won't spread it,_ he thought before turning around to grab a dry wipe. When he faced the counter again, he saw a case of Danish biscuits on the counter.

"This all?" he asked, setting the dry wipe aside.

"A-actually…"

He scanned the bar code, but it wouldn't register.

"…th-that's for you."

He paused, and then looked at her. She was offering him food… again? Doesn't she ever get hungry?

"U-uhm… i-if you d-don't—"

He put his hand over it before she could retrieve the biscuits. For a moment there, he saw a quarter of her smile.

"A-ano, y-you're looking w-well compared t-to the last t-time s-so…"

Of course, since Fugaku had been too preoccupied with prostitutes recently to even lay a finger on him. He arrived the house first thing in the morning with a couple of barely clothed ladies and…

"Thanks," he managed to say, and then there was silence between them.

It was… awkward.

He cleared his throat. "How's the asshole?"

She lightly sighed. "At home," she replied rather calmly, and then she froze, as if realizing that she had said something wrong. She immediately covered her mouth with her hands and looked at him, terrified. She watched him, amused. "I-I mean n-no, I... I mean I h-have to go home." And without another word, she turned around and left.

Sasuske didn't notice the smirk on his face as he picked up the dry wipe to clean the countertop.

* * *

Hinata sighed deeply, inhaling the sandalwood essence of her bath.

There was absolutely _nothing_ that she could remember about her mother. For some reason, her collective memory began after her death. There were a lot of cameras and flashes even at her funeral, along with the jabber of the different reporters outside the chapel. She can briefly recall the amount of writers asking for permission to write about her mother, but none of them allowed. She never dared to look at archives about her, afraid of what she would see.

"Hinata-sama," she heard her maid knock from the other side of the door.

"Hai?"

"Your father left papers on your study table for you. His instruction was for you to read them."

"O-okay," she said, wondering what the papers were.

Taking a last dip, she soaked her head before standing up to dry herself.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino walked rather fiercely along the hallways of the school, wearing her floral Kira Plastinina dress. Hinata was sure she looked dull compared to her friend. "Hinata-chan, you look terrible."

If anything, Ino's statement only made her sleepier.

"Why are you wearing an oversized gray V-neck? Didn't Mai dress you today?"

"G-gomen…" she couldn't even think properly.

Her blonde friend sighed. "Why can't everyone just say that like you can, Hina-chan? Is apologizing so… agonizing?" Hinata was going to reply, but saw her friend, Shikamaru closing his locker. Suddenly, Ino's hands grabbed Hinata's thin arms, dragging her to the other side of the lockers. Hinata was caught by surprise. "Let's not pass there," Ino whispered.

"Ino! Hinata-chan! Over here!"

Hinata looked up, finding Sakura waving at them excitedly. Ino, again, dragged her towards where Sakura was and sat beside the pink-haired girl.

"I'm heartbroken, but go ahead. Enlighten me." The blonde said to Sakura.

Hinata took a seat beside Ino and immediately dropped her forehead to her arms on the table. She breathed in and out, allowing herself to drown in the chorus of noise in the classroom. The papers her father instructed her to read took the whole night and early morning for her to finish. It was about the history and the business style of the company, its principles, rules…

She exhaled, turning to her left, and as she slowly opened her eyes, she caught a glimpse of an Uchiha's smirk.

_"How's that asshole?"_

_"At home,"_

She popped up, her eyes not leaving him. "A-ano, S-Sasuke-kun," she tried to sound as friendly and as less frantic as possible. She felt her face heat up in shame at the memory. "I-I d-don't think N-Neji niisan is a-an… a…" _she coulnd't say it,_ "w-what you s-said y-yesterday."

He only smirked more.

She bit her lip. "I-I'm telling—"

"You're a bad liar." He said quietly.

She fell back to her seat and absently fiddled her pointer fingers against each other.

"And he's an asshole," he muttered under his breath.

She shot up. "H-he isn't!"

"Good morning, kids," Iruka-sensei entered the classroom and they all stood up to greet him, Hinata feeling every degree of remorse in her body.

* * *

During Asuma's class, they returned to the library. Hinata gathered reference materials about her case, _The Man in the Alley_. The case was connected to the Krauss tragedy, with the police suspecting that the man either killed Agatha Krauss or abducted Ambrose Krauss.

She was scribbling information on her notebook when Uchiha Sasuke appeared before her again.

"Hi," it came out a little more rough than she expected, still quite irritated from the ordeal this morning.

It was no secret that rich families arrange the marriages of the younger generation to make sure the money circulates within the family, or is further bloated by another rich family's income.

In the case of Hyuuga Haruko, she had to marry Hiashi Hyuuga—her third cousin, which is the lowest possible degree of relationship legally allowed in the country to get married.

She was a handful, based on his research. A rebellious teenager who brought her attitude into adulthood. She had numerous high-profile affairs, one of them being Vincent Krauss, which may be the reason why the Hyuugas consider him their biggest rival. Haruko made headlines so often, newspapers had a regular column about her. Eventually, her behavior became lackluster, the press found it repetitive and therefore boring.

The next time she made it into the headlines was when she died.

The reason for her death, however, was never really cleared. He half guessed that the Hyuugas used their influence to prevent any sort of information. There was no autopsy, and her funeral was only attended by the family.

Looking at Hinata, she didn't even seem to know how her mother died.

"Sh-she was m-murdered…?" It came out as a question, and there wasn't a hint of pain or grief in her words. "I'm n-not sure, though."

He cleared his throat. "It was in your house…" he attempted to start a chain of ideas for her to continue, but as he waited for her answer, or any form of coherent statement, her face began to fall.

After their encounter in Palagruza, Sasuke read a book about mind reading. One of the basics were: if a person's eyes shifted leftward, he or she was lying. Rightward meant he or she was recalling something.

She was recalling something. "A-actually Sasuke I…" she began, "I think y-you know m-more about m-my mom than I do…"

He continued to watch her, face more relaxed than a while ago.

"I see the two of you together more often now, hm?"

He looked up, seeing no other than Hyuuga Neji standing beside their table, holding a collection of chemistry books.

"N-Neji-niisan!" Hinata jerked to her feet, face even more flushed than usual. "I-it's not what y-you're thinking—"

"Oh? What am I thinking, then?"

It was his time to stand up, gathering all books on the table and giving Hinata a look before walking away without laying his eyes at her cousin.

"Asshole," he muttered, walking over the line in the circulation section to borrow all the books that he had. He double checked them, realizing that two of the books were not his.

_The Man in the Alley_

* * *

_Red painted fingernails enveloped the trunk of the brown teddy bear as the object smiled rather kindly at the child. She raised her right hand to touch its soft fur, and to touch the hand of the one holding it._

_"Happy birthday, Hinata-chan," the woman's voice was smooth and bold._

_The child blinked, the face of her mother still hidden behind the toy. Slowly taking the bear to herself and embracing it. "Thank you…" she said, "Mother."_

Hinata's eyes opened, landing on the printed words of the Hyuuga Corps' policy handbook. She sat up her study table.

_That was…_

Getting up on her feet, she walked out of her bedroom, knowing exactly what she would do.

* * *

When he went home that night, his father wasn't around. Not having anything to eat, he opened the box of Danish biscuits Hinata Hyuuga gave him yesterday. He was on his way to finishing the second stack out of three. This 102-piece of goods would be wiped out by tomorrow. He hated sweets to some extent, but nothing beat being hungry, so he continued to fill himself up.

He then heard someone trip outside his house. That wasn't Fugaku, for sure. Else, he would have made all sorts of curses directed at him.

"Are you okay, miss?" That was Lee, unquestionably. _He has a visitor?_

"H-hai,"

He bit his lip—and hard.

_The fuck?_ He grunted, walking towards the door and opening it to find none other than Hyuuga Hinata getting back up on her feet after a fall.

"Sasuke-san!" Lee waved at him. "You have a visitor!"

"I know," he said, grabbing the heiress by her forearm and yanking her into his home before closing the door behind her. Hinata leaned against it, and he stood right in front of her, face stern.

"A-ano… I…"

He rolled his eyes, annoyed that somebody actually came to his place at this hour, with the danger of his father being around. All he wanted to do was rest. _Why the hell is she here?_ "I don't care how much you've already judged me, but what are you doing here?"

She swallowed hard, returning his gaze with less intensity.

* * *

_Judging?_

For a moment, she felt afraid of his sudden strength—something she never saw in him before. But… _judging?_

"I… never judged you."

And she was thankful she said that, because he loosened up a bit after that. He walked backwards and crossed his arms. She breathed in deeply.

"Are you here to give me another one of your admirers' gift?" He asked.

She froze for a moment, catching sight of the box of cookies she gave him yesterday. _How did he…_

Sasuke snatched something from inside the container and tossed it to her. It was a small card.

_To: Hinata_

_You're the most beautiful girl in the world._

_Love: Gaara_

"A-ah!" She dropped the note immediately, turning red in an instant. "G-gomen, I—" She looked up at him, catching another one of his smirks. She'd seen a lot of them today.

He shrugged. "I don't mind."

She sighed, relieved, recalling what she went to his house for. Originally, she went to the convenience store where he worked, but when she arrived, he was on his way home. She followed him. "I… r-remembered something about my m-mother."

She began to tell him about her brief memory with the teddy bear her mother gave to her as a late birthday present. Sasuke listened attentively, eyes fixed on her.

"That all?"

She nodded.

"Okay," he said before walking towards the old wooden table where his bag sat. He took something from inside—it was a brown envelope, thick with the mass of papers inside. He walked towards her and gave it. "Arigatou," he said.

Dumbstruck, she accepted his gift and gratitude with amusement. She opened the envelope and checked the papers inside. It was a collection of articles from past newspapers and magazines regarding her research.

Surprised, she looked up at him. "H-how did you…?"

He shrugged. "Your books," he said. "Go home."

* * *

When they reached the end of the slums, she saw her car parked at the other corner other corner of the street, just where she left it. She turned to Sasuke to bid her last farewell.

"S-see you tomorrow,"

"Don't come back here."

Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but failed. The way Sasuke looked, the way he spoke, the way he acted… for some reason they are all _not the same._ Did she only notice this now? Today, she saw him smirk—the closest he'll ever be to smiling, be frustrated, angry even… he became more than just the smartest boy in Knonoha High.

And to have met him _finally_, after years of knowing each other by name, after years of being more but worse than strangers, it made her… smile.

She shrugged at his last statement before turning around to her car.

* * *

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note:** I am alive! College is extremely hectic, but like I said before, this story will not be abandoned!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Hinata stared at the amount of references that were on her table regarding the man in the alley case. She remembered her state one week ago, when she researched alone. She found only two materials regarding her case. Uchiha Sasuke, on the other hand, found a pile after their encounter earlier.

There were knocks on the door. Hinata turned to see who it was, and much to her surprise, it was her father. She scrambled in panic, standing up clumsily. "F-father!"

"You're dressed. Let's go," he said before turning and walking away.

It took a few seconds before she regained her composure. She ran towards her bookshelf, looking for the Hyuuga Corps policy handbook before running after her father.

* * *

She was relieved that her stroll towards the dining area of The Orient hotel went gracefully—not like what she expected at all, on her high heels. It was probably because for the first time, her father allowed her to ride in the same car as he. Hyuuga Hiashi never liked sharing his cars with his children "in case of accidents." Today was the only exception. It was a closed dinner meeting with the board members of her father's company. Her father had her come in order to mark the start of her training for the business world. He mentioned that the meeting tonight was about a vital move of their company for expansion, and he wanted her there as the heiress.

"_It's a last-minute decisional meeting, for formality. I am certain we will push through with it. I want to hear your thoughts about it later." _He said.

She clutched the 200-page handbook near her chest, from which she could hear the loud thumping of her heart. All sorts of feelings she had were quickly dissipating into nervousness as they continued to walk.

"Sorry we are late," her father said. Hinata quickly stopped walking before taking a big gulp. She looked up—they were, in fact, where they were heading to just a while ago.

"It's okay," the board members collectively mumbled.

Hinata was helped to a seat by one of the butlers. Now, she felt her hand trembling. It wasn't good. Closing her eyes, she remembered the night at the convention—the way all eyes glued on her as she strutted in her high heels and spoke so eloquently.

She needed that Hinata back.

Suddenly, she heard the voice of her friend.

"_Show them who you are."_

* * *

It was darkness, and then there was the sound of panting.

He tightly clutched the stuffed animal that he was holding, eyes shut. He couldn't tell where they were, but he was certain that he was being held by someone. And then they stopped. He felt the ground under his feet. Terrified for a reason he didn't know, he hugged the toy that he was holding and shoved his face into it.

Soft and cold hands touched his face. He slowly released his grip on the toy. He slowly opened his eyes.

And from the blur between his eyelids, he saw a woman's face. Perhaps even a… _smile._

"Don't be scared honey," he heard her say carefully. "We'll be okay."

* * *

"It's not okay. We knew it would happen but we didn't expect it to come so suddenly. We weren't advised at all…"

Sasuke overheard a hysterical woman as he was walking by Rock Lee's house before he went to school. He carried on to his path, but then the door opened a thick-eyebrowed lad went outside, catching a glimpse of him.

"Ah, Sasuke-san, good morning…" he greeted.

"Hn," he greeted back, knowing that it was almost unnecessary to ask what was going on.

"Very bad news this morning Sasuke-san," Rock Lee began to fill him in. With that, Sasuke halted but didn't turn to face the boy. "Area 34 was demolished. Completely."

He looked at Rock Lee over his shoulders, unsure of what exactly he felt. From the open door and the windows, he once again heard the hysterical woman crying.

"Hajitaka-san lost her husband in the demolition. I heard there are so far more than ninety casualties because of the riot with the police." Lee continued. "Ninety people are still missing, and that's not even the final count."

Konoha is known to be a place of extremes—lived in there were some of the richest people in the region and even in the country, yet almost seventy percent of its population were below the poverty line, like himself and Rock Lee. In the past few years, there had been little to no slum demolition. In fact, this one is the first in two years. Before that, however, demolitions were left and right in order to create more business districts and get rid of the slums.

Rock Lee then turned his eyes to him seriously. "Anyway, Sasuke-san… there will be a union meeting later." He quietly said. "…and… I know that you have some conflicts with your friends but maybe you'd think about passing by."

"I lost my home and my husband—Mara is all I have left!" The woman inside their house continued to cry out.

With that, Sasuke shrugged before walking away. He had, after all, more important things to do.

* * *

"Oi you Sasuke-teme, you heard about what happened this morning, didn't you? Since you're a creep like that?"

Sasuke turned to the blond who popped out beside him. "What do you want dobe?"

"I'm doing a survey, teme! Everyone else seems to not care about the people who lost their houses! Are you one of them? Although that wouldn't be a surprise, of course."

He quietly sighed. Naruto always had a different perspective as compared to his other rich classmates. During the last demolition two years ago, he headed a petition to stop other future residential demolitions. "They will be put into a relocation area." He told the blond.

"That's not the point!" Naruto ran his hand through his hair in annoyance.

"I told you Naruto," said Ino from the seat behind his. "It's not like they'll be left there. Cases of injuries will be taken care of completely."

The door opened after that, and Asuma came into the room. Naruto left for his seat then, and Sasuke turned to face his teacher. The classroom settled down as their teacher came to the center of the platform. From where he sat, he tried to remember the empty seats in the room.

_Strange_, he thought.

"Hinata-chan isn't here?" Asuma asked.

The raven turned to face the Hyuuga's seat. It was, in fact, still empty.

"And Shikamaru is here?" that was when their teacher began to chuckle. "This is going to be a weird day.

"So class, for this morning I'm supposed to rehash to you the benefits of being a part of the honors class in this school. There are a lot of opportunities that only you can have." Asuma continued. "Just this morning I got a message from a non-government organization, the Private Forensics Laboratory or the PFI,"

The class made an amused sound.

"This semester's top-notcher will be taken in the PFI as an intern, more like a practicing detective." Their teacher finally said. His classmates made an even louder sound—mostly coming from Naruto and Ino. "This is a very good opportunity. I realize that forensics isn't necessarily related to the business practice, but this is a great way of expanding your contacts."

His classmates talked about Asuma's announcement non-stop after they were dismissed. Naruto was the nosiest of them all, seemingly having forgotten his earlier mission regarding the demolition.

"I'm certain, this time, I'll be the first in rank!" He said excitedly to their pink-haired classmate, who was laughing as she replied to him. "I know, Sakura-chan! But with or without that detective thingy, I'm sure I'll be number one!"

With that, Sasuke smirked, taking his bag and walking towards the door. "Tsch,"

"Hey you teme what are you laughing about there huh?"

He shook his head. "Some loser,"

"HEY! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN HUH?"

* * *

It was bad.

It was worse than everything she ever felt.

Last night, the board members talked about the company's expansion within Konoha. For that, they envisioned a larger downtown which would allow the convergence of the commercial and residential areas. Five condominium buildings and a mall—it was quite an investment. However, they picked a place which will require a demolition.

When her father asked her what her opinion on the matter was, she couldn't speak. She couldn't tell him that she was against the idea. He would have been disappointed, so she only nodded. Her father was very happy at this, until she couldn't take their conversation and walked out.

"_This matter cannot wait any longer. Another company may be able to take that area—it is perfect."_

"_That bastard Ikazaki spoiled all of our plans to that bastard Krauss. I can almost assure that by next week they'll have that land if we don't."_

"_I can take care of the permits. I have connections within the mayorial office."_

"_Taken into consideration. What about the protesters?"_

_Silence._

"_We can conduct the demolition tomorrow morning, before the sun rises."_

She cried for half an hour in the comfort room. Mai came in to fetch her there after her father had left. They haven't talked since.

* * *

He was on the last ten minutes of his shift when she came in the empty convenience store.

"What do you want?" He asked as she walked towards the counter, looking at the stacks of chocolates along the aisle which she passed by. His eyebrows met. He would have guessed that she was sick from being absent in school, and it definitely seemed to be the case. He turned to the drawer behind him and opened it, grabbing the available paracetamol. He once again faced the counter and found the heiress standing right in front of him. "Hyuuga. You are an eyesore."

It was almost 9pm and Terry, the manager, was at the backroom waiting for his call for the next shift.

A ballpen.

He blinked. She went all the way down the store at that time for a ballpen.

He scanned it. "Is this all?"

It wasn't. She got a piece of gum from the counter rack.

He scanned it. "Is this all?"

It wasn't. She grabbed a lollipop and tossed it towards the scanner.

He scanned it. "Is this all?"

It wasn't.

And for another three times, it wasn't.

"Hinata."

* * *

She looked at him, certain that this was the first time he said her name. He must be frustrated. She didn't even know what she was doing, buying everything on the counter one by one. She didn't even know what she was doing there at the convenience store.

Maybe because she couldn't take the air inside their house anymore, not with her father and her cousin there, relishing every bit of her run despite not being there. Maybe because she couldn't take staying inside their mansion while other people just lost their houses because she didn't say anything. Maybe because she couldn't take being an heiress anymore.

"Y-you're so lucky, Sasuke," she said as she looked down, remembering the faces of the board members and her father. He must be so ashamed of her, and the way she ran out and never came back.

"You don't know what you're saying." He told her firmly, placing the items inside a paper bag and no longer asking whether those were all that she wanted. "Hundred-fifty,"

She took her purse from her pocket and grabbed a bill from inside. She placed it over the counter as Sasuke punched a button on the machine and out came a receipt from the printer.

"Go home," he instructed.

Without waiting for her change, she left with her items.

* * *

_Ambrose Krauss_

_1991-08-12_

_Male_

_Date last found: 1997-15-02_

_Classification: Lost_

_Hair: Black_

_Complexion: Fair_

_Blood Type: B_

_-Played the violin_

_-Spoke German_

Hinata resorted to continuing her case study after coming back from the convenience store, but she couldn't put the information into her head. Not when she felt that remorse from the dinner last night. To make her feel even worse, Mai came into her room, holding a tray of dinner. She wasn't allowed to eat with the rest of her family that night.

Sighing, she took the paper bag of the items she bought earlier and emptied its contents. Arching an eyebrow, she took something which she wasn't certain she got on the counter.

_Paracetamol?_

For the first time that day, she smiled.

* * *

It was Rock Lee's fault.

He was on his way back to his house when the thick-eyebrowed lad cornered him and even kneeled in front of him to join the union meeting in their house. The people talked about the illegal demolition of their houses earlier. Over two hundred are either dead or missing, and almost four hundred were injured.

"The Hyuugas are clearly exploiting our lands—something that they do not own. And the government, what is the government doing?" Gai said agitatedly as he stood in the middle of the circle of about twenty people. How they fitted in their house was a wonder. "The government continues to support these rich rats who take everything away from us!"

"It wasn't a demolition, it was a massacre!"

"That is right!" One man cheered, and the rest of them followed.

He felt a tap on his back. He turned to his right.

"Sasuke-san, we need your help." Rock Lee said.

He only gave him a cold look. With that, he took his leave.

* * *

"Hinata-chan!"

"I-Ino-chan—" she wasn't quite sure if she even said that out loud, as the blonde already hugged her tightly.

"Good morning!" The smile on her face was remarkable.

_She still looks…_ Hinata frowned. Ino dressed fabulously—even more than usual. Her skin was smooth, her hair was done, she was beautiful, but still everything about her was a frown, or a tear. She was still having a lot of trouble with Shikamaru-kun, perhaps. She never really asked Ino about it, but it was quite obvious.

Ino and Shikamaru were set up for wedding a very long time ago. Their parents were best friends, after all. They were even born just a day apart from each other. Everything about them brings them together. In fact, Hinata thought that even without the wedding setup, they would still somehow end up with each other, despite the obvious differences in their personalities.

"Let's go out later!" Ino blurted as they took on the hall to their room. "Let's go bar-hopping or something. That sounds great, doesn't it?"

"B-but—"

"Please Hinata-chan? I'll ask Sakura but she's already booked for the night," she rolled her eyes. "You can invite other friends if you have—what I mean is, if you want to."

She sighed hesitantly before nodding.

* * *

Hinata stared at the blackboard in front of her as she listened to the voice of Uzumaki Naruto who sat behind her. He was ranting about the demolition in Area 34. She bit her lip and froze at this—she was starting to feel even heavier than last night, if that was in any way possible.

_Maybe if I spoke up…_

"They'll be assigned to a relocating area, Naruto, don't fuss about it too much." Ino told him. "Besides there'll be jobs for them, it's not like this is a selfish investment."

"But still!"

"Jeez, let it go blondie. You're making Hinata-chan uncomfortable."

"No, it's not your fault Hinata-chan! And I never said anything about her!"

"Oh would you two just stop it?" Sakura interrupted.

The two blondes silenced, and Hinata was relieved. From her peripheral vision, she saw Sasuke enter the room. She felt herself tense down a little as he took his seat, remembering the piece of paracetamol that was slipped into her bag last night.

"Hi," she nearly blurted, face bright.

Sasuke froze on his seat, eyes turning to face her. "Hello,"

* * *

"Hello," he greeted her back, not noticing his arched eyebrow.

The Hyuuga heiress then nodded and turned to the blackboard in front of them. For a few moments, he remained looking at her with an arched eyebrow. "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'?" He barked back sternly.

Hinata then tensed up again. He smirked before looking front. That felt more comfortable, he thought. "N-nothing,"

He then overheard the bickering between Ino and Naruto behind them. It was about the demolition earlier this morning. He rolled his eyes, but continued to listen to their argument. Naruto was, predictably, on the side opposite the corporations. That was something he couldn't quite understand about the blond. He was the son of one of the richest, most powerful, yet he has always somehow against their ways.

_That's the reason why…_

The door then swung open. "Good morning kids! Let's see the progress you got on your cases."

* * *

Ino and Shikamaru's relationship didn't seem like it was getting any better at all. Hinata stayed with Ino almost the entire day in school, and she wouldn't talk about anything besides her plans for the night which involved things that she would rather not think about. The blonde refused to eat as well, saying that she wasn't feeling "the least bit hungry."

That's why when Ino had been in the rest room for nearly ten minutes, Hinata became even more worried.

She was starting to bite her fingernails, contemplating whether or not she should knock to check on her friend.

"Hyuuga,"

Hinata turned to her left to see no other than Uchiha Sasuke standing in front of the gentlemen's comfort room door. "A-ah, Sasuke-san," she stuttered softly.

"Why are you here?"

"A-ano," she pointed her thumb towards the comfort room door. "I-Ino-chan is…"

"No, if you're still sick then why are you here?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Sick? I-I'm not—"

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino popped out of the bathroom, immediately closing the door behind her and standing between the two. "Hey, Sasuke-kun, Hinata-chan and I will go downtown tonight for some fun, you should come!"

He eyed her blankly, before turning back to Hinata. Ino nudged her friend.

She opened her mouth even before he can excuse himself. "Y-you should, S-Sasuke-san."

"No,"

* * *

Hazy.

The lights made her feel hazy, almost on the verge of seizure. The loud music didn't help either, but the worst part of it all was the volume of people inside the club. It was almost hard to breathe with all the bodies. She kept her presence down by sitting at the bar, sipping the third glass of juice that she ordered. She wondered how this was making her friend feel any better, or anyone at that. She certainly wasn't feeling any better.

She lost Ino for what felt like hours ago.

_Must wait for Ino-chan…_

"Hey," she felt a tap on her back.

She hesitantly turned to face the stranger.

"You looked really beautiful from behind and now that I've seen your face you look even more beautiful." Said the brown-haired stranger. "Would you like to dance?"

She blinked.

"No,"

* * *

In attempt to completely avoid the union meeting and his thick-haired neighbors, Sasuke decided to take the longer route back to his house. It involved passing by the dumps behind downtown (formerly Area 34, before it was demolished yesterday), which led directly to the other side of his area. It would be an hour of walking, but he decided that it was better than being stuck in another meeting.

When he successfully reached the edge of downtown, he found the demolished area. There was still smog from all the machinery work, but it was completely empty.

_Completely._

For a moment, he stopped walking and looked up at the full moon. It was a starless night, _much like…_

"_We'll be okay,"_

He curled his fists upon remembering that voice in his dream. He couldn't decide if it was a familiar sound. He couldn't decide if it was perhaps a memory?

"—ouch!"

He snapped out of his stance upon hearing another voice amidst the crackle of some dirt, which this time, he is completely sure, is a familiar one. When the smog somewhat subsided, he confirmed his suspicions. Hyuuga Hinata was sitting on the ground, all dolled up. He arched an eyebrow. "Why are you here?" He asked her the second time that day.

She slowly looked up to meet his eyes. "I-I…" she started, "I thought I s-saw you going here f-from downtown so I f-followed to see…"

His eyes widened in a quick wave of fury. "And what if it wasn't me?"

"I can't do this anymore."

* * *

She started crying after that statement. She realized that that area was where the demolition took place. It was a hideous sight. Aside from the dirt, there were pieces of plywood and nails everywhere. The bright moonlight allowed her to see the little blood marks that stained the ground, the chunks of futon from where people may have been sleeping, tin cans of food, ripped clothing…

…and then she saw a portion of a notice.

_WE ARE SORRY FOR THE INCONV-_

_A NEW AREA IS RISING_

_FOR YOU_

_-HYUUGA CORPS_

"I can't believe this," she placed her hands over her face. "I should have said something. I should have said something."

She heard the news from Naruto that morning. Hundreds are dead and missing, even more are left homeless. The diffusion of the news was completely controlled by the company. Many of the victims were brought to an evacuation area two hours away from the city, as sponsored by the mayorial office and the company.

It was all good. There would be jobs ready for them. Loans were available. Building a home wouldn't take long.

But standing there, right on the site where the demolition took place felt completely different. She even tripped from all the dirt on the ground.

_How many other people tripped and never got up? How many times have we done this?_

Her hands were trembling in disbelief.

That was when she felt a hand on her hair. Wiping her tears away, she looked back up. Sasuke-san sat on his toes and was looking right into her eyes. She returned his gaze, not knowing what to say. She figured that he didn't know what to say as well.

"You have a wound." He said as he looked down, placing the hand which was once on her hair onto her scarred knee. He put his thumb in his mouth before running it over the wound. "This kind heals."

* * *

She didn't know whether he felt obliged to stay by her after she cried, but Hinata was thankful that Sasuke spared time to keep her company that night. They haven't left the spot where he found her and have been lying there for what felt like a very short time to her.

She was dressed by Ino then. Her hair was up, her waterproof makeup remained intact, her heels were thrown out after she admitted being tired of wearing them, and her white dress met with the ground.

"I n-never dreamed of any of this." She said.

"You always had it." He replied to her.

She shook her head. "Y-you're wrong." She sighed. She was being very selfish by saying those things, but he didn't stop her anyway. "I n-never had anything. Th-they're all my father's."

The clouds cleared the sky by then, and the stars were more visible.

"I wanted to be a pilot." He suddenly said.

"W-wanted?" She wondered why the past tense. After all, he was too young to give up on his dream. Maybe he was going to say something about how lucky she was and how wrong it was for her to complain, or how much of a baby she was and that she was an eyesore. But she knew that she was lucky. She recognized that. She was just—

"I'm airsick."

She turned to face him, cheek almost touching the ground. He was still watching the sky.

_Pause._

"O-oh…" she recalled.

They started to laugh.

_**TBC**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

The annual school prom was coming up in a few weeks. The entire Konoha High student body started feeling the event after posters have been plastered on every bulletin board. It was the time of the school year where people's romance blooms or hearts break. It was also the time when the rumor mill wheels around healthily.

Yamanaka Ino headed the student end of the event.

"_I'm kinda excited for our prom!"_

"_The theme might be wild…"_

"_As usual, she's the star."_

The blonde sighed audibly in front of the Student Prom Team, which consisted ten of her schoolmates, including the brunette and senior student, Tenten—last year's prom head, for support. The blonde wore a tight-fitting black long sleeve top and leather pants. A bangle-style necklace dangled around her neck.

"_There goes a new trend,"_

"_She's so thin,"_

"_I heard she's bulimic."_

"Yosh, so from the preliminary survey, our schoolmates agreed on having the prom on the fifteenth—Friday." Ino started, reading off a few statistics from her cue card. "The matter left in our hands before we pass it on to the administrators is the theme. Let's have our suggestions written on a piece of paper and we'll narrow it down later."

"_I think the prom queen has just been crowned this early."_

"_I wanna ask her out."_

"_Well, at least my boyfriend's not cheating on me…"_

"By the way, we will not entertain the 'masquerade' idea. Scrap it out, used too much already,"

Ino sat back down at the edge of the newsroom-style meeting area. While waiting for her teammates to finish writing down their pegs, she snatched her cellular phone from her pocket.

'_One unread message_

_Shika'_

She bit the tip of her lip before pressing the button to open the text.

_What time do you get off?_

* * *

"_I don't want it. It's troublesome."_

Nara Shikamaru sighed as he walked by Grand Avenue, having come from a meeting with a few old and draggy bastards. It was an offer they knew he would refuse at all costs, but gave to him without exactly giving him an option, really. He never said yes, yet there he was, doing whatever it was that they commanded him to do.

_Why me?_

The worse part was, it was even presented as an opportunity to the entire class. The worst part is, they actually believed in that bullshit.

_Sneaky, controlling bastards_

He never even wanted to be in that class in the first place. He was pretty sure he slept through all the exams needed to get into the special class, yet there he was.

Konoha High picked the ten of them. There was no exam that needed to be passed. It was all written down with their surnames.

He, on the other hand, did not come from a family of rich business moguls, unlike the rest of his classmates. He came from a family of hacienderos—people who enjoyed the peace and quiet lull time, away from the metro. They were never into the whole corporate thing. It was only when his father was appointed as chief military strategist in the country's major defense system that they moved into the metro, his father reuniting with his best friends, Mr. Akimichi and Mr. Yamanaka.

He sighed, halting as the pedestrian light turned red despite the lack of cars passing.

A few years after that, he was engaged to Yamanaka Ino.

He didn't complain much. Actually, he was in a way relieved. The arrangement gave him less things to mind about the future, having a sure wife. He met Ino (along with Choji) a lot of times before, whenever their fathers have a reunion.

She was a loud, extremely competitive, girl who was, in a nutshell, his exact opposite. She cared too much about her appearance and generally everyone else's. She got involved in anything she sets her eye on. She was spoiled, and made no effort of hiding it. During their first year in school, she and Sakura had the most troublesome crush for Uchiha Sasuke, much like the rest of the female population. The two of them competed at _everything_ to gain the Uchiha's attention, most of which he remembered sleeping through.

He heard, though, that they got the entire school's attention. Except Sasuke's.

A few months of trying passed and they figured that things weren't working out with the guy. He knew that if he had an inch of care to what they were doing, he might have even told them the truth about Sasuke's preference, but he decided it was none of his business and was too troublesome anyway. Their competition ebbed down to academics, and Sakura started to give Naruto a little more credit than the rest of her lifetime where she ignored him. Ino, on the other hand…

…got engaged to him.

She tamed down with her obsession with boys after that, but made him aware of all the other crushes that she was getting. To be fair, for a rich spoiled brat, Ino was very dedicated and loyal. She spent almost all of her free time with him, despite his nonchalance and total lack of cooperation. She always made effort for him. The best part of it, however, was that their friendship never changed.

She was still the wild Ino who always nagged him, but after their engagement, started showing signs of affection, which for all he has known about romance never felt like it was obliged or planned by their parents.

She made it feel natural.

That's why when he found himself actually listening to her rants every time she invaded his private alone time watching clouds, and whenever there was an event, he already expected her to come and wake him and dress him up, and when he found himself waiting for her every time she was late for something or before going home, no matter how unchangingly troublesome everything was…

…it was ideally a happily ever after.

He sighed, crossing the street as the green man lit up after what seemed like forever.

_Ideally,_ he thought while mumbling to himself, flipping his cellular phone as he read a reply that he has been waiting for.

"Troublesome,"

* * *

_Itchy_

Hinata subtly reached for her upper torso from the black tube dress that she was wearing. It took the maids almost five minutes to force her to take her coat off for the restaurant. Her aunts, Hanako and Aiko, returned for her earlier in order to help her dress up nicely.

Today is their first date. And nobody has said a word in thirty minutes.

She looked up to him and flinched when his cold and piercing eyes met hers. Quickly, she retreated her hands from scratching.

"A-ano," she attempted to start a conversation, eyes fixed on the table with their untouched food. The term "silence" itself was an understatement for what was going on between them, and she was getting only more and more uncomfortable with how Gaara fixed his unreadable eyes on her.

_Has he been looking for long?_

"If… you have something to say p-please say it."

No response. At all. Except for that same look.

She slightly shifted, reaching for the water goblet and drinking from it. She put it down, and still his eyes were glazed on her. "I-is there anything you w-want to say? Please…"

"Would it matter?"

She almost sighed in relief when he said those words. "…what do you mean?"

"What we say or feel or think—nothing matters," he said blankly. "Not in this setup. So why pretend?"

She watched him speak.

"We can save ourselves the effort of liking each other, which is clearly not the case."

"Th-that's no—"

"That saves for your part." He said, still not moving a strand of hair from where he sat. "I don't like you."

Hinata looked down at the confession, not knowing what he meant and how to respond. He was still eyeing her like daggers, yet so blankly at the same time. She absently played with her fingers and the hem of her skirt from below the table.

"And you're aware that this whole thing is just forced on the both of us,"

She nodded slowly.

"You know how they want this to go. You know they will eventually get what they want. It will all happen with or without our cooperation with each other. We're wasting time for them." And after a very long time, he averted his gaze to the window outside. The eerie chatter from the other tables and the sound of the violin quartet filled the silence between them. "There's no use saying things. It won't go our way."

"B-but…" she started, noticing that he looked back at her. "…but it makes it bearable, at-at least." She gripped the hem of her skirt.

"What do you mean?"

"A-at least now… we both know what we feel and…"

"And know that it doesn't change a thing."

She shook her head. "N-no that's not true!" She objected. "Now maybe we… can do something about it. If… if we tell them how we feel. Th-they'll understand."

"What makes you think so?"

"W-we never tried. Now th-that we're aware of how we feel, w-we should let them know. If we don't say something… th-then it might be too late."

He blinked slowly, leaning in towards the table. For a moment, he continued watching her, but something in his eyes changed. "I understand." He said to her directly. "Communicate,"

She nodded.

"So if we're aware of how we feel about something, we should tell the ones who can do something about it…" he said, as if pondering.

She nodded again, and then met his eyes. There was an undeniable shift in mood. Gaara seemed to be more interested in having a conversation.

"So Hyuuga," he begain. "Have you taken your own advice?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Do you tell people how you feel about them?"

* * *

"It can no longer be denied, fellowmen, that the Hyuugas took our land as they grit their teeth in competition with Vincent Krauss who was set to take hold of it in a _peaceful manner_, which was _planned_ and was _agreed upon_ by all parties involved."

Sasuke heaved a sigh. Owing Lee his breakfast and dinner, he was obliged to come to the union meeting, still held in the boy's residence. The meeting tonight was attended by not less than thirty people, some of them hearing the speaker from the window outside the house. When he was there, he couldn't stop himself from listening. The speakers were extremely loud and rather passionate and charismatic. The workers and demolition victims continued to speak against the Hyuugas, which was not to his surprise, after the sudden demolition. Today, however, they spoke of the Krauss.

It almost didn't surprise him that he was being packaged as "the good guy."

Rock Lee took the empty space beside him. "Sasuke-san," he started.

Sasuke faced him. "Hn,"

"In light of the recent tragedies, our springtime of youthful justice only calls us to follow through with this meeting." The thick-browed boy started to say as the speaker in front continued to discuss things about the Hyuugas. "There would be a… conspiracy and…"

He nodded sideways. _Obviously,_

"…and I know that you have some friends in that family but I put my full trust and confidence in you, Sasuke-san."

He shot Lee a look

"We would like to request for your help regarding this long-term mission, Sasuke-san."

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto.

She had always loved him from afar. She couldn't even remember when or how or why. It was probably his brightness—his blond hair and blue eyes, and the way he lights up every tile he steps on. It was probably his uplifting and empowering words which saved her countless of times from herself.

Back when they were children, she remembered Naruto being outcasted because he couldn't read and write. They were probably seven then, and he was always laughed at for not catching up to the lessons the rest of their grade were tackling. He remained at the bottom of their batch for a very long time.

She never figured out what it was that hindered him from bringing out his potential, but one thing about Naruto-kun was that he never gave up. Everyday, she would pass by the library and find him there during his break times and even after dismissal, studying. During the first few years, he finished around two books a week. After those, he was able to read faster than almost any other person she has ever known.

During the times that Naruto was gaining his academic prowess, he started taking up basketball, which at first he was extremely rough with, unable to dribble at the very least. He worked hard on it, too, and eventually became known as the Rebound King in their district.

He always eyed Sakura-chan, always had a crush on the pink-haired girl, who always in return rejected him over and over again.

But he persevered. He never gave up.

And much to her pain, it only made her look up to him even more.

He changed, at the same time he didn't. He was always that bubbly, determined, and trusting boy that she…

_always…_

"Hinata-chan?"

Hinata almost jumped at his call. Naruto threw the basketball towards the ring and missed, which the blond quickly reacted with a step back. He was practicing alone in the school's gym.

"Yeah?" He walked closer to her.

She held the small box behind her harder, feeling her face heat up as Naruto stopped right in front of her, wiping the sweat off his face. "A-ano…"

_Thump… thump… thump.._

"Hinata-chan, are you okay?" The blond threw his hands over Hinata's forehead, causing the heiress to redden even deeper, momentarily clogging the rest of her senses.

_This is it. This is it._

In a quick motion, she stretched her arms out, holding the box that she intended to give Naruto, towards him. She slightly bumped his chest in the process, but he laughed it off.

"I.. ano…" She tried her best to think of any possible excuse, not seeing herself anywhere near ready to say what she felt. "…f-for your game long a-ago, it's a… congratula—"

"Whoa, Hinata-chan this is really nice!" He said, holding out the basketball keychain. "But wait a sec, Hinata-chan, you already gave me something like this, didn't you?"

She blinked.

_Oh right._

_She asked Mai to hand it over when Sasuke was in the hospital._

Dumfounded, she was only looking at Naruto, ready to explode in embarrassment any time soon.

"But hey, what the heck right? Two of good things can't be bad at all!" He exclaimed, holding the keychain up high. "I should tell you, I feel—"

_Tell? Feel?_

"—really lucky to have you as a friend, Hinata-chan! You spoil me, really. Thank you." He flashed a smile before leaning in to give her an embrace.

"I like you!"

* * *

He took the magic cleaner from its plastic case and then began wiping the countertop. It had been forty minutes since his shift started, and nobody was entered the store to buy something.

Well, nobody except for the white-eyed girl that walked through the store isles, not seemingly looking for something.

He arched an eyebrow. _Why is she here?_

He eyed her once in a while, not looking up from where he was cleaning.

They stayed at the demolished area for about thirty minutes the other night. It seemed that the heiress had a lot of things to say, despite her stuttering. And after all the favors she has done for him, he felt only compensatory that he kept her company then. Yesterday, they continued getting advice from each other for their case studies, having a few unrelated conversations like Tesla and Edison.

He momentarily remembered his conversation with Lee the night before. The union is bent on throwing the Hyuugas once and for all, and with Vincent Krauss planning to land into the country by next week, they have almost solidified their rebellion. It involved conspiring with the workers of Hyuuga Corps. He figured that Rock Lee was bent on keeping him involved with the union because of his connections within Konoha High. Also, he already saw Hyuuga Hinata with him when she visited his house the other night.

It was none of his business, and frankly, none of his care.

He decided to keep involved with the union, however, just to make sure that he… because she _she_…

"_I know she's your friend, Sasuke-san, but I still trust that you will not let us off…" Rock Lee said. "Maybe, perhaps you can even help us in the future."_

"_Hn," he said, finding it useless to explain the circumstances._

…she isn't like them.

He did his best to hide his surprise when the next time he tried to look up to check on her, she was standing right in front of him.

"…hi?" she greeted him.

"Do you need anything?" He arched an eyebrow.

She looked around the counter, going through a few pieces of packed chocolate. Tensely, her hand picked a piece of ripe, evidently oversized banana. "…this," she said, not looking at him, "p-please,"

He eyed her for a moment, close to dumbfounded. He grabbed the fruit from her hand and punched it in. "Is this all?"

"Hai," she replied, handing him a bill.

He snatched a piece of plastic bag under the counter and waited for the dot matrix to finish printing the receipt.

"D-don't put it in a plastic bag!" She objected right before he placed it in with the receipt. "It's… bad… for nature."

His eyes continued to glaze on her, preventing a twitch that formed somewhere on his face. "This is a genetically modified banana."

They found themselves in another conversation after that, mostly regarding the harmful effects of human intervention with genetics. Hinata ended up buying soya milk in a paper carton and a piece of donut.

"I told him." She spat out. "I told N-Naruto-kun."

* * *

It was interesting. She was one of the quietest people in the world. He was the other one of the quietest people in the world. But when they were together, it was almost difficult to suppress a conversation.

"_He said he l-liked me too and… but…" _

_If there was one thing about the Hyuuga, she was easy to read when she's right in front of you. Like a book. And right now, she was in pain._

"_Why did you do it?" He asked rather sternly. And why was she telling him? She knew. She was the only one who figured his… liking… for the blond._

"_I just… I realized that if we have something t-to say to someone, we should say it."_

_He arched an eyebrow. "Right," he took the magic cleaner from the countertop and placed it back inside its container. The Hyuuga still hasn't picked up her purchase, staring at the space between them. "And you have something to say to me?"_

_She shook her head. "J-just wanted to let y-you know." She said. "Since you als—"_

"_Don't get there." He said. "And forget about that."_

_She nodded. This time she began playing with her fingers. "Y-you should, too."_

_He smirked audibly. That was when another customer entered the premise._

He shook his head as he walked through the narrow streets of their area, finishing the carton of soya milk that the Hyuuga forgot to claim before she left. There was a soft light that illuminated out of their house. He figured that Fugaku was home.

_Tell him,_ he thought and almost laughed at the heiress's suggestion. _And be as pathetic?_

His attraction for the blond was almost instantaneous. Naruto was the only person in the world who gave him a challenge. He had read somewhere (for a need of rationalization) that his reaction towards this was probably his need for ventilation—ventilation from his own suppression. With the blond around, he was able to _win _and watch someone lose.

It was a convenient secret that he carried. It made him better—the best, actually—in school. It kept him distracted from his troubles at home. It gave him a reason to talk when he felt like it. It made him feel unreachable. And nobody ever noticed.

Nobody except, apparently, for Hyuuga Hinata.

Sasuke stopped by their door, snatching the keys from his bag. He shook off his previous thoughts as he heard a few grumbles from inside their house.

When he opened the door, he was welcomed by his father, and entered a night which he thought he had already escaped from.

* * *

**A/N: Hi guys! Thank you so much for supporting this fic :D. I know I've been terrible at updates and so I can't exactly ask you all the favour of dropping a review, but it would really mean so much to me to hear your thoughts. Also, if you have things you wish to see in the next chapters, please don't hesitate to suggest! I'd like to add a few scenes that you guys have in mind (hoping of course that it wouldn't change the plot of the story entirely haha!), as a way of saying thank you to all those who haven't given up on me. Thank you all so, so, so much and I'm excited to hear from you!**


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